


Close to Me

by kimmyiewrites (arosetosomeone)



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Enemies to Lovers, F/M, Original Character(s), Slow Burn, adrianne palicki - Freeform, annoyance at first sight that grows into more, is more like what really happens, sort of it's very lite, spans all three movies
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-05
Updated: 2021-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:27:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 26
Words: 91,879
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22575547
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arosetosomeone/pseuds/kimmyiewrites
Summary: Even though we both know we're liarsAnd we start each other's firesWe just know that we'll be alrightKaterina Metonae knew three things to be true:Heartbreak was her best friend.She would always do what was right.And the First Order had to burn.Joining the Resistance after finishing school and her break from the world of politics was easy. Even getting her teams to trust in her role as colonel to the Resistance Navy was easier than working alongside the flyboy commander for one of her best squadrons. Both Kat and Poe are stubborn as can be but in order for them to reach their ultimate goal, they must realize something about themselves first.{Set before, during, & after the Sequel Trilogy}
Relationships: Ben Solo & Original Female Character(s), Leia Organa & Luke Skywalker & Ben Solo & Han Solo & Original Female Character(s), Poe Dameron & Original Female Character(s), Poe Dameron/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 24





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Katerina Metonae really, really does not like Poe Dameron.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edits made 10/26 for grammar and small additions to flesh out the story more.
> 
> This story and these characters have taken over my life lately and so I went through and spruced up the chapters I've already posted while continuing to write. I've gotten nearly 30 chapters written and I'm not done yet so sit back and enjoy. Happy reading!

She honestly didn’t know how she kept it up before. Staying up late was the name of the game while in school. It was the only way to go out and still pass her classes with flying colors. Then again where she was now was nothing like her time on Naboo despite the constant attacks from Imperial sympathizers. Far away from the local politics, missions were more about reconnaissance than physical battles. If a fight happened, the mission hadn’t gone to plan. No formal declaration of war had been announced but they were certainly at it even if right now it was more of a battle of wits.

Kat let out a shaky breath. Exhaustion seeped all the way to her bones. She didn’t really have to be here; her squadron was doing a routine patrol. She wanted, no needed, to prove that she rightfully deserved her rank as a colonel.

The whispers were that she only received the rank because of her ties to the general. At age ten, Kat lost her parents, and the family that took her in happened to be Leia Organa and Han Solo. The former just so happened to be the General of the Resistance which caused people to talk when she showed up to D’Qar and became Colonel within two weeks of her arrival. She shouldn’t let the whispers bother her but they had been following her ever since she got back from university. Kat had a lot to unpack while studying and with no adult supervision around, old habits returned. 

After the Organa-Solo family took her in, Kat struggled to settle into her new life so she often acted recklessly and acted out. On Naboo, she no longer had anyone constantly reminding her that there were better ways to act, reacting and behaving how she wanted while working through the utter betrayal she felt towards Ben Solo when he turned to the Dark Side and joined the First Order as Kylo Ren. Kat gained the reputation of a party princess, choosing to drown her sorrows in drinks, dance, and men. Sometimes it would even be all three. Most of the people in her life disappointed or left her. So she would leave those she slept with before she could get hurt, especially after her boyfriend cheated on her.

She did study though, through all of the partying and fighting. Despite all her hurt and anger, she still wanted to help people and make sure the First Order didn’t take over like the Empire did. So she pushed through those four years, finally finding that balance between reckless and focused by the time she graduated. 

The damage to her reputation had already been done, though. When she returned home, she walked the halls of the capitol building to Leia’s office, the woman she could never call mother but was her mother all the same. Whispers were there too. Having been chief of staff for Leia before she left to study, foregoing the traditional route of schooling, those who knew her family couldn’t believe that walking before them was the girl who had so much promise. They now only saw her as the wild child, figuring that the only reason why she was back in the building was that she had been kicked out of school. 

She was met with an empty office, cleared of all personal possessions. Her best friend, Darby, had come in and was the one to tell her what Leia had been up to while she was away. With that new knowledge, it was a no brainer. Now it was all about how to reach out to Leia and how to get to the Resistance base. 

When she joined the Resistance on D’Qar, the whispers returned. She only got her position because she’s the general’s daughter. She’s going to ruin this whole thing. She should have stayed home. Are we that desperate for recruits? No way she’s as good as the general claims. 

So that’s why she was here during a routine patrol instead of asleep in her bunk, her arms shaking slightly as they worked to hold her up. She watched each of the blimps on the screen as the four X-Wings flew the course they had planned out for this particular trip. 

She commanded the entire Navy. She knew how to fly, did it fairly well if she did say so herself, but most of the time her feet were on the ground acting as the all-seeing eye for her team even if there was Ground Control. It made it easier for her to help when things didn’t go as planned. That’s where her reckless behavior came in, following impulses and instincts more than mapped out plans. It was why Leia had named her a colonel. Kat was good at seeing the big picture and being able to put in those fine details that would make it all work. Not to mention Leia trusted Kat's leadership and knew her adopted daughter would make sure a mission was done with as little casualties as possible. 

Seeing that her team had reached their destination with no trouble, a small smile graced her lips despite none of them being able to see it. “Alright boys, come on back home. Your bunks are calling your names.” 

A few cheers were heard back, happy to be given some time to sleep. She had gained some trust from members of the team that called themselves Black Squadron which was perfectly fine with her. She just wished all of them did even if she thought the commander, one Poe Dameron, was completely full of himself and far more reckless than she ever was. She chuckled lightly at the cheers, finally losing her own personal battle to stand for any longer. 

Slowly easing her way down to the floor, Kat rested her back on the small command center. If anything popped up on their way home, the beeping and vibrations would wake her up. She just needed to rest her eyes for a while.

A light touch on her head woke her up. She startled, banging her head against the command center as she looked up to see who it was that woke her. Leia smiled down at Kat, silent laughter sparkling in her eyes. "They're almost back. Figured you didn't want Commander Dameron to see you asleep at the wheel."

Kat groaned, rubbing the spot on her head. "Thanks, Leia." She stood, appreciative of the older woman's hindsight. Leia simply gave her a smile before continuing on her rounds.

After Kat had arrived on D'Qar, she had slept for a week. The little amount of sleep from her time in school catching up to her. She came out of her quarters every now and then during that first week but only going to wherever Leia was. The following week she trained, passing everything with flying colors. The next week she was named Colonel of the Resistance Navy. 

No one was truly happy about it but especially Poe. How could she have earned such a title when all she did the first two weeks since joining was sleep and train? She hadn’t been in any sort of combat, or so he and a lot of others thought. All he knew was that she had worked under Leia when she was a senator and of her party princess reputation. 

Kat had let it go, working to earn the trust of each of her squadrons but she and Poe seemed to be destined to hate each other from the start. When they were first introduced he had called her by the name the gossip reels were calling her and then after she was announced as Colonel, she never seemed to be doing something right or needed to lighten up when all he seemed to do was go against every order she ever gave.

Soon they both began to complain to Leia about the other, airing frustrations and questioning everything surrounding the other. Leia just told them both that they needed to learn to trust each other and sent them on their way.

Kat rubbed the sleep from her eyes and soon enough the four pilots from the Black Squadron returned. Each of them patted her on the shoulder as they passed, a silent thank you as they headed to their beds. All of them except Poe, of course. 

He gave her a curt nod instead as he walked past. She let out a small sigh of relief before turning to head to her own quarters to get some rest.

✧☆✧

It wouldn't be long before Kat returned to Leia's office to vent about Poe's latest poor choice. This time he had recruited a young pilot from the New Republic Defense Fleet. Poe had been assigned to pick up the intel the New Republic was sending their way a couple of weeks after she rested her eyes during the routine patrol. Kat knew that they were stretched thin with their intelligence officers but that didn't mean Poe was meant to pick up any strays along the way.

“He recruited a kid who’s barely gotten his feet wet and he expects him to be able to spy for us? What was he thinking?” Kat paced the length of Leia’s quarters. 

“You need to trust his instincts. He’s one of the top commanders you have.” Leia said, not even looking up from what she was working on. This wasn’t the first time Kat came in to complain about Poe and it wouldn’t be the last either, she was sure of it. 

The younger woman groaned as she plopped down on one of the stools. “So you keep telling me.”

Leia just smirked, continuing to work. She knew Kat would either offer up her assistance or go back out to base. 

Before Kat could decide which option she would take, the door opened, and in walked the man she was just venting about. Poe let out a sigh when he saw that Kat was also in the room with the general. “Of course, you’re in here.” He mumbled under his breath as he approached the two women. 

Kat sat up a little straighter and looked to Poe expectantly with some judgment lying underneath her blue eyes. She really wasn’t happy with how this whole Kaz situation happened.

“No one is going to join if you’re going to keep judging new recruits like that, princess,” Poe said.

She rolled her eyes at the name. She knew he used it to just get under her skin. It worked more times than not. “Good thing you’re not a new recruit then, huh? I mean honestly, what were you thinking? This is a big operation that we can’t afford to lose because you thought a new recruit would be best to spy on the First Order.”

Poe looked to Leia and motioned towards Kat with a ‘see what I have to deal with?’ expression. Leia sighed. “I trust your instincts, Poe but she’s also right. This is a big operation.”

“I’ve set him up with my contact there and he has good instincts. He was already settling in when I left.” He left out how the kid was doing just that, not wanting to anger Kat further. He knew well enough to not push her buttons too far or it would spell disaster for him.

Leia looked at Kat with a silent question of ‘does that satisfy you?’ 

Letting out a sigh, Kat nodded. “Just keep me updated and if he gets in too deep where you think he can’t manage it anymore, I’m pulling him and sending in someone else.” With that, she stood.

Poe easily stepped in her way. He wanted to bask a little more on the fact that she had agreed with him. Kat sighed and went to go the other way but he stepped in front of her once more blocking her path, a small smirk on his face. She practically growled in her frustration. “You are such a child!”

He couldn’t help chuckling as he finally stepped aside to let her through. He watched as she walked away, trying to push aside his physical attraction to her. He may not like her but he had always thought she was beautiful.

Leia cleared her throat once the doors were closed causing Poe to turn and face her. “You know you’re playing with fire, don’t you?” She asked him.

“I think I’ll be able to handle it.” 

She chuckled, shaking her head as she turned back to her work. Poe knew a dismissal when he saw one.

Kat was waiting just outside of Leia's quarters, ready to let into him. He couldn't help the surprised look that crossed his features at seeing her, having figured she had stormed off when she left. 

She stepped into his personal space, their heights being so similar no one towered over the other. It just meant that he could clearly see how her blue eyes looked like stormy seas due to her anger. "The minute you hear an update from your new recruit, I want to hear about it. I don't care where I am or what I'm doing. Got it?" She jabbed her finger into his shoulder at the words she emphasized to make sure he listened to her.

He leaned forward, a smirk on his face as the tension grew between them. For a brief second, it crossed both their minds that a kiss would be able to wipe the expressions they wanted to get rid of on the other's face. "I hear you loud and clear, colonel." He gave her a small salute before walking away. 

And boy did he listen to her. There was even one point in which he stood outside her shower stall and started to relay the information. She ripped back the curtain, making sure her body was still covered by it as she glared in his direction. "I'm not used to you taking directions so literally, commander."

That infuriating smirk graced his features. "You told me you didn't care where colonel."

"Then clearly you don't have the common sense to think that maybe telling me updates while I'm in the shower isn't such a good idea."

Poe raised his hands in the air, trying to act completely innocent. "Then maybe you should clarify your orders."

She narrowed her eyes towards him. Really if looks could kill, Poe would have been a dead man a long time ago but this was definitely one of those times as well. "The minute you get an update, I want to know as long as I'm not in the shower, the fresher, or in a meeting." There had been one time he had come interrupting a meeting, talking about how he had just faced monkeys with the kid at his latest in-person check-in. 

"You got it. By the way, General Organa wants you to come along when she and I go meet with him next week." 

"That can be arranged. Thank you, commander. Now if you'll let me shower in peace."

He motioned for her to continue, a smirk returning to his lips. She heard him laughing after she groaned in frustration, the door soon closing after. 

✧☆✧

“I cannot stand -”

“Poe Dameron,” Leia said in sync with Kat who had just walked into her quarters, hair still soaked in a bun on top of her head. 

Kat let out a sigh as she moved to sit in front of the older woman on her bed. “Well, it’s true.”

Leia chuckled as gentle fingers pulled the band keeping Kat’s hair up. She grabbed a brush off the bedside table and started to work out any tangles in the younger woman’s hair. “What did he do this time?” She asked as she started to braid Kat’s hair. 

“He came in while I was showering to give me an update on Kaz.”

The older woman just shook her head. These two clearly just needed to be thrown into a room together to work things out. They were able to push each other’s buttons far too easily. “You know you let him bother you too easily.”

“He’s always there no matter where I go it feels like. You didn’t exactly teach me to avoid things.”

“So he likes to be around you?”

“I really don’t know if you can call it that. You would think he would be pleasant if that was the case.”

“Are you pleasant?”

Kat rolled her eyes. “When have you ever known me to be pleasant?”

Leia chuckled as she tied off the braid. Ever since she took Kat in, the two had butted heads more often than not. It really wasn’t until Kat went to Naboo that they found more common ground, surprisingly. She knew her daughter needed to figure things out on her own after Ben left. She didn’t approve of how she did some things but with what she experienced, Leia could only offer comfort and support where she could. The first week Kat had arrived on D’Qar, the two reconnected and built a stronger relationship than what they originally had. “Whenever you don’t hide that big heart of yours.”

She spun back around to face Leia. “You know I can’t do that.”

With one hand, Leia took the young woman’s hands while she reached up to caress Kat’s cheek. “Not everyone is going to leave or betray you. I’m still here, am I not? And I’m sure Han would come running if you were to send a message his way.”

A soft smile pulled at Kat’s lips making Leia smile in return. “You don’t have to be strictly business to get people to forget your past. You are good at what you do and they can see that the minute you step behind your command center.”

Kat let out a slight laugh. “You’re supposed to say that. You raised me.”

“I may have raised you but I wouldn’t have put you in the position you’re in if you couldn’t perform. Those four years don’t define you. We all had to deal with our loss in our own way. I’m just glad you decided to join me.”

Squeezing Leia’s hand, Kat let a genuine smile surface. “What? Like I could ever leave you alone. You wouldn’t know what to do without me.” She teased.

Leia laughed, pulling Kat in close. “There’s my girl.” She placed a kiss to Kat’s hair. “The whole Resistance would be wrapped around your little finger if you showed her off more often.”

Kat easily went into the embrace, wrapping her arms around Leia’s middle and resting her head on Leia’s shoulder. “I’ll try, Leia but I’m not making any promises.”

“That’s all I ask. You’re making them wait longer than I had to. Then again they aren’t seeing the little hellion you can be.” They both laughed before a comfortable silence fell over the pair. They stayed like that for a while, just holding each other. They didn’t get many moments like this. Someone usually needed Leia or sometimes even her for something. 

“I miss them,” Kat whispered, trying her best to hold back her tears. Them was all-encompassing of all she had lost. Them meant her parents who she lost at the tender age of ten where she could just grasp what was happening around her and make sense of it. Them meant Ben who left for the First Order, the people who took her parents away from her. Them meant Han, the other father figure she had known growing up who had decided to fall back on old habits and run instead of facing down what was right in front of his face. Them meant Luke, who went into exile after failing Ben and the others training to be Jedis who she, Leia, and the rest of the Resistance were looking for.

Leia knew all of this and while she never knew the girl’s parents, she knew how much their loss had affected the girl in her arms. She held Kat tighter as if doing so would take all the pain away. “I know, darling. I do too.” 

Kat couldn’t hold her tears back anymore as she began crying on Leia’s shoulder. Leia just sat there, rubbing soothing circles on Kat’s back, letting her daughter cry. The two women never said the words mom and daughter out loud when referencing each other but that’s who they became to each other. “You’re staying with me tonight,” Leia said as Kat began to calm down.

Shaking her head, Kat pulled back. “I can’t do that. They already think I get special privileges because we’re related.”

“I don’t care. You’re staying here so you don’t close yourself off to the world just yet.”

“Fine.” Kat sighed, climbing into her usual side of the bed. She snuggled down into the blankets, getting comfortable. Once she was settled, she opened her eyes to see Leia looking at her. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips as she reached across and took Leia’s hand in hers. “We’re gonna make it through this, aren’t we?”

Leia gave Kat’s hand a squeeze. “Always. Good night, sweetheart.”

“Good night, Leia.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance finds out that a war against the First Order is becoming less and less avoidable than the Senate thinks. Kat also gives that opening up thing a try.

The following week, Leia came up to Kat while she was pouring herself some tea. “You know when I said you should try to open up more, I didn’t mean with those you already consider your friends.” 

Kat groaned. “But I’m pretty sure Rose and I are best friends now instead of just friends. That’s gotta count for something.”

“And how many arguments have you gotten in with Poe so far this week?” She asked, giving Kat a knowing look.

“None, thank you very much.” A proud grin lit up her features.

Leia laughed, shaking her head. “That’s because you’ve been avoiding him. How long has he been working on his X-Wing?”

Kat followed Leia’s line of sight to see Poe sitting atop the left wing. His curls hung in front of his face as he concentrated on the task at hand. He had foregone Rose’s help to fix it himself, a simple wiring problem that didn’t seem so simple at all since he just jerked his hand away from the wires as if he had just been shocked. She didn’t even want to make note of how good he looked with the top of his flight suit tied around his hips and the white shirt underneath straining against his muscles as he worked. “A few hours. Rose said he declined her help. Apparently, it’s a simple job he can take care of himself.”

“Then it looks like you should offer some caf and your assistance, colonel.” She pushed a cup towards Kat with a small smile.

“If he declined Rose’s help then why would he accept mine?”

“Because you brought him a peace offering and worked on the Falcon, which means you know how to get into those hard to reach places without getting shocked.”

Kat let out a heavy sigh. “Fine, you win.” She picked up both cups and headed over to Poe, ignoring the smile Leia sent her way.

“Not right now, Twenty-three,” Poe said to the droid’s beeps, far too focused on not getting shocked for the third time.

CB-23 trilled again as Kat approached the ship. “There’s no way she’s coming over. She’s been avoiding me all week.” He said, not looking up like the droid wanted him to do.

“You sound a little disappointed in that. I would think you would be thrilled. Caf?” She held up the cup.

Poe’s head shot up as his hand slipped, touching the live wire which shot electricity through his arm. He jerked his hand back, giving it a bit of a shake as if that would wave away the pain.

Kat bit her lip to hold back her laughter. “Or maybe some ice instead?”

“Oh, ha ha.” He reached out to take the cup of caf she offered. “What do you need, colonel?”

She motioned to the open panel with the hand that held her cup of tea. “Since you didn’t take the professional's help, I figured I would come over and offer mine.”

“Okay, who are you and what have you done with Katerina?” He raised an eyebrow as he looked down at her.

Kat rolled her eyes at hearing her full name, shifting her weight to one side. “I grew up with the Falcon and there were some tight spots that needed to be fixed so Han taught me how since my hands were small enough to fit.”

“There she is.” He smirked.

“Are you going to let me come up or not?” 

“Fine, you can come up.” Poe agreed, he and CB-23 moving so that Kat would have easy access.

She handed her cup of tea to Poe before she climbed up onto the wing. Poe handed Kat her cup back after she settled. “So what’s the problem?” She asked, sipping her tea.

“The main wire came loose for one of the landing lights. I can fix it if people would stop interrupting.”

CB-23 beeped, causing Kat to laugh and Poe to look at the droid as if he was hurt by what it said. “I thought you were on my side.” He accused.

“You forget that CeeBee was my droid first.” She smirked over her shoulder. CB-23 mostly hung out with Kat in the beginning, flying with her when she went off base but after Poe returned sans BB-8, Kat talked her droid into going on loan for those who needed the droid more since Kat didn’t fly all that often. 

Kat turned back to look into the open panel in front of her. Seeing just how difficult it was to reconnect the wire, there was no wonder Poe kept shocking himself. She took the roll of tape and tore off an extra piece with her teeth before wrapping it around the edge of the new casing so she’d have a little bit more room to hold onto. 

Poe watched a little in awe before shaking his head. He did not need to go down that path with his thoughts. “Then I should probably tell you that your droid and my droid are now buddies.”

Kat nearly had the wire where it needed to be when Poe dropped that bit of information on her. “What?” She asked, whipping around, not even thinking about what she was doing a second before until she was shocked. She jerked her hand back, hissing in pain before glaring at a chuckling Poe.

“Doesn’t feel so great, does it?” 

She picked up the roll of tape and threw it straight at his chest. He leaned too far back as he flinched to prepare for the contact and to catch it, landing him back into the cockpit. Kat scrambled to the edge of the wing and looked down, relief rushing through her when she saw that he was fine, laughing even. “Aw, you worried about me, Kat?”

She pushed at his knee before moving back so he could get out. “Is this true?” She asked the astromech. “And how did that happen?” She followed up when CB-23 gave her an affirmative beep.

Kat rolled her eyes while Poe laughed. “Isn’t that what you’re trying to do here? Grow on me?” He asked.

“I’m here trying to figure out how we’re to work together but clearly that’s not going to work out.” She mumbled as she moved to straddle the wing, figuring she could try a different angle to get the wire connected. 

She felt him behind her before he spoke. “I thought we worked together just fine.”

Kat didn’t answer as she focused on the task at hand. He moved closer so he could watch over her shoulder. “You know, this would go a lot easier if you weren’t hovering.”

“Just want to make sure you don’t hurt my ship.”

Kat rolled her eyes and placed the wire back where it belonged and made sure it stayed there. She sat back but instead of air, she was met with his chest meeting her back. “Are you going to move?” 

“I don’t know. Am I growing on you yet?” He asked with a smirk, using CB-23’s excuse.

“Growing on my nerves.” She gritted out, not wanting to focus on the feeling of his breath on her neck or the warmth she felt where their bodies touched.

Poe laughed and moved back before climbing down. CB-23 went next as Kat replaced the panel, rolling off the wing and right into Poe’s waiting arms. Kat moved down and Poe was still waiting there. The ghost of his mother would surely come to haunt him if he didn’t at least offer to help her down. “You good?”

Kat nodded. “Getting up is so much easier than getting down.” 

“I can go move the ladder to this side.”

She shook her head. “No, I can get down fine.” She lowered herself down to the final perch before dangling one leg and then the other. Kat took a deep breath, assessing the jump before sliding down the rest of the way. 

His hands went to her waist to help steady her while her hands landed on his shoulders. They were once more closer than they ever had been before. “See, I told ya.” She said as she brushed off his shoulders, stepping back. 

“Commander Dameron, is your ship back in working order for our trip?” Leia asked, a knowing smirk on her lips.

Even though there was some space between the two, they jumped back, creating more space. “Yes, general.” He answered, trying his best not to look like he had been caught doing something he wasn’t supposed to be doing. 

Kat hurried over to Leia’s side as Poe untied the sleeves of his flight suit from around his waist. The older woman looped her arm around the younger’s with a soft chuckle. “I hate you so much right now,” Kat whispered causing Leia to laugh.

“That looked like it went well, I don’t know why you would be so upset with me.” 

Kat rolled her eyes as she continued to walk with Leia to the CR90 corvette. Poe would fly ahead of them to meet with Kaz before they showed up. She still didn’t know how she felt about the kid. Sure he was doing well and bringing in great intel, she just knew that Poe was leaving out some details when he debriefed her. If she had to guess, the kid had the same knack for getting into unnecessary trouble.

✧☆✧

The two women were standing at the command center, looking over all intel they’ve been able to gather. Each of it looking more and more like a war was going to break out soon. “If we could just figure out what their final goal was...besides galactic takeover,” Kat added when she got a look from Leia, “then we could put what resources we have towards that. I could try my contact on the inside again.”

Leia looked at the other woman with a soft smile and gave Kat’s hand a soft pat. “You know as well as I do that conversation would just turn into him trying to recruit you again. Then they would hide whatever it is that they’re working on and we would be no closer. Let’s see what intel we get today and we’ll go from there.”

Kat nodded with a solemn look on her face before quickly changing her expression to her usual guarded one. Poe and Kaz had just walked in so she couldn’t say or do much else. She watched Kaz fumble over his words in front of Leia. Kat always found people’s reactions to the older woman amusing so she did her best to stifle a laugh. 

“So she’s the one that’s really judgy?” Kaz asked Poe in what he thought was a whisper when Poe introduced Kat.

Leia looked up at the ceiling, shaking her head slightly as Kat stared daggers towards Poe, arms crossed over her chest. Poe grimaced and leaned down towards the young spy, patting him on his shoulder. “Kaz, buddy, you might want to learn how to whisper a little better or better yet, don’t say anything like that in front of the person you’re talking about.”

“Mr. Xiono, this job is very dangerous as you know by now. My judgments, in the beginning, were because I wanted to make sure you truly knew what you were getting into. I’m not in the business of losing lives so if my judgments were going to protect you, then I was going to judge and judge hard. Now, I believe you have a drive for us.” She held out her hand, waiting for the drive. 

Kaz handed over the drive and as Kat loaded the information, she could feel Leia’s proud stare and Poe’s shocked one. She had just opened up. Not a whole lot but just enough for those who didn’t know her to see that she had a heart underneath her cold exterior. 

Leia started going through the intel, praising Kaz for a job well done. Kat acted as if she was looking through everything when she was truly trying to reign in her anger. Poe clearly didn’t see how tense she was for he stood extremely close to her. She turned her head just enough so she could see him as she whispered harshly. “When did I say you could start invading my personal space?”

“I wanted to apologize.” He replied in the same hushed tones so the other two present in the room couldn’t hear their conversation.

“Complaining to the general about me is one thing, but to air your grievances to a new recruit is another.”

“I only said something today. I was trying to make sure he was on his best behavior with you because you’ve been strict about him since day one.” 

“Clearly you missed the mark on that one.”

“I know and that’s why I wanted to apologize because I thought…” He trailed off trying to find the right words.

Kat turned so she could get a better look at his face. Seeing how genuine he seemed to be about this, softened her up a bit. She gave him a soft smile and a squeeze on his arm before turning back around to face the hologram of intel. “So, what did Mr. Xiono bring us?” She asked, making her way into the conversation Leia and Kaz were having.

Poe moved to stand beside Kat instead of being in her personal space. A small smile on his face. She might not have said the words but he knew he had just been forgiven by her. He had thought that it was an impossible feat but here they were. He even started to wonder what other decisions she had made because she cared more than she let on.

“Based on Kaz’s reports, we’ve calculated a possible flight path through the Unknown Regions that could lead to a First Order outpost.” Leia began, addressing the whole group. The intel on the drive was being looked at by the few Ground Control crew that was on the ship. This mission wasn’t only to get the intel but to see if there was anything worth knowing about based on previous intel.

“Really? What kind of outpost?” Kaz asked, looking to Leia in awe.

Poe smirked, leaning forward just a bit. “That’s what I’m gonna find out. I’m assuming the colonel is bird’s eye view?”

“Correct,” Leia answered.

“Then you want to come along, kid?”

Kaz looked gobsmacked. He couldn’t believe Poe was picking him. “Uh, me? Go with you?”

“Hey, my mission, so I pick my wingman.” He backed away from the control center with a small shrug, planning on making his way to his X-Wing to get the mission started.

Kaz grinned and started to follow Poe. They were just about to leave when Leia spoke up. “But remember, Poe, your mission is reconnaissance only. Do not engage the enemy. Am I clear?”

“Of course, general. You know me. I am not one to engage unless provoked.” Poe smiled.

“That’s why I’m going to say it again. Do not engage the enemy.” Leia gave him a pointed look.

He just flashed her his charming smile. “Understood.” 

Kat watched them leave, conflicted about whether to give him a commlink or not. They would be able to communicate while they were in their ships but something told her that there needed to be at least one more form of communication, just in case. She let out a sigh when Leia gave an approving nod and motioned to the door. With that, she jogged after them.

“Commander!” She called out, slowing down to meet him in the middle of the hallway. His questioning look grew when she took his hand and placed the commlink in it. “Keep this on you. I’m the only other trained fighter pilot on this ship and therefore your only backup.”

“This is just a reconnaissance mission, colonel. You don’t have to worry about me.” He smirked even as he pocketed the commlink.

“Nothing is ever just reconnaissance with you. And I’m not worried. I just like to have a backup just in case.” 

Poe chuckled. “Uh, huh. Sure you do.”

Just then BB-8 and CB-23 rolled by beeping happily as they chatted with each other. Kat wrinkled her nose which caused Poe to laugh. “See, I told ya.”

“Oh, it’s worse than I thought.” She looked down at her shoes to hide the brief moment she lost her battle against smiling. “Tell your kid to keep away from my kid.” She joked, smirking towards Poe.

He smirked in return and leaned forward. “I’m starting to grow on ya.” He whispered.

Kat rolled her eyes and nudged him forward. “Go. You have a mission.”

✧☆✧

Leia gave her a knowing look as she returned to the main hub. “He’s growing on you. You can thank me later.” She grinned.

The younger woman looked shocked. “Did you just eavesdrop on our conversation?”

Leia chuckled. “No, but I watched the cameras and I noticed you two earlier.”

“Then keep dreaming. You’re not getting grandkids out of me yet.”

“That is not why I’m doing this.” She actually sounded offended.

Kat turned to face the older woman, arms crossed over her chest with an eyebrow raised. “And why are you doing this?”

Leia just smiled, her eyes sparkling in the way that Kat had learned to recognize as the look she got when the Force was involved. The younger woman rolled her eyes. “The Force, Leia, really? I highly doubt that.”

The older woman just shrugged. “We don’t know what the Force wants. Now, don’t you have a mission to conduct?”

Kat rolled her eyes once more before placing her headset over her ears as she made her way to where a small group of Grounds Control was stationed. "Alright, boys, speak to me. What are we seeing out there? It looks like you're in an asteroid field."

"They've left us a nice little path to follow. About to land at the station. No life forms or active droids." Poe informed.

"Commander, pull back. You are not to engage." She ordered.

"There's no life forms or active droids. We'll just be providing surveillance from the inside. Besides, colonel, don't you want to know what this station is?"

"Uh, I just would like to point out that I agreed with Colonel Metonae." Kaz popped up on the comms.

"Commander, I am ordering you to not land." Kat tried once again but soon there was a resounding click. The colonel looked at the other members, her mouth slightly opened. He just turned off communication with her.

She gave the team a tight smile before stepping out of the room and pulled out her commlink, calling the comm that she had given Poe before he left. "Poe Dameron! If you do not get back in your cockpit right now and turn back…"

"Is this the real reason you gave me this?" Poe asked, cutting her off. "Also no can do Twenty-three already took them back out to hide in the asteroid field. Now, come on Kat, you really can't tell me that you're not interested in why this station has been abandoned or what this station was even used for."

Kat groaned in frustration. "You get ten minutes and then I want you back in the air, got it?"

Poe grinned in victory. "I like this new Kat." It was her turn to turn off communication. He just chuckled at the sound of the click and pocketed the commlink once more.

"I take it, that doesn't happen often?" Kaz asked.

"Never." He shook his head, his smile never falling. Maybe they were both growing on each other. "So you ever shoot one of these things?" He asked, handing over another blaster.

✧☆✧

"I want eyes on the sky. Any activity near Commander Dameron's location is to be reported." She ordered as she walked back into the room. Kat sighed as she sat in front of the screen. She really hoped her decision didn't come back to bite her.

Twenty minutes past the ten-minute marker and a lot of yelling down comms later, Kat stormed the hangar just as Poe exited his X-Wing. "That is the last time I let you talk me into going against the general's orders." She shoved at his shoulders. "Not only did the First Order show up but you both were nearly taken out with the blast. You are such a cocky, reckless pilot that…"

Her rant was cut short when he pulled her into a hug. She stiffened at first, not really a hugger unless they were those who she considered friends or family, before relaxing into it. She let out a deep breath, whispering the rest of her sentence, "thinks you know everything," as she wrapped her arms around him briefly. 

"We're safe, Kat." He reassured her as he gave her a slight squeeze. From her revelation earlier, he had realized that each time she had acted out after a mission gone wrong was because she had been worried about him and the team. He gave her a small smile as he pulled back before giving her a grim expression. "Let's get back to the general, we were able to get some information and it's not the best news."

BB-8 had loaded all the information he had downloaded from the First Order station. "Please tell me they're just building tons of blasters," Kat whispered to Leia as they looked over the drilling logs of the dedlanite.

Leia squeezed Kat's hand before thanking Kaz for his help. Once the young spy had left, she turned on Kat and Poe, fixing them with one of her steely glares that caused both commanding officers to stiffen. "When I said I wanted you two to work better together that did not mean that you two should disobey direct orders. Do not engage means do not engage, understood?"

Both nodded their agreement and once Leia seemed satisfied, she gave a soft smile. "Other than that I liked the teamwork and it better not stop after this. We're stronger when we truly work together, especially since it seems the First Order has big plans."

Once again they both nodded as they watched her walk away. "So," Poe started after the door shut, "want some tea?"

Kat smirked as she backed away from him, shaking her head. At the door, she pointed in his direction. "Not even close to that, yet."

As the door closed, all she heard was him laughing. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia sends her best agents on a mission, the details make them a little wary.

"We what?!" Kat and Poe questioned at the same time after listening to Leia's instructions about the mission she was sending them both on. There was a rumor that one of their contacts had turned and started giving the First Order information because it seemed like they were one step ahead in their search for Lor San Tekka. 

They were hoping that the man who became an expert in the Jedi Order would be able to help them find Luke. Leia wanted to make sure of this rumor but also get to the info first so they could get a head start. "Need to go undercover as a couple, try to figure out if our contact has in fact turned but also get the location of Lor San Tekka."

Kat let out a sigh and moved to sit on the edge of her seat but Leia beat her to the punch. "You two are my best agents and the contact doesn't know your faces so they shouldn't get spooked if they see you a few days before the set meeting."

The younger woman turned to face her commander. He still had a slightly dumbfounded look on his face, outwardly expressing how she still felt. She knew when she lost the battle though. There would be no changing Leia's mind. "Well, you heard the general, commander. Be at our assigned ship in fifteen." Kat tried to take control of the situation. 

Poe turned to Kat as she stood, closing his mouth and nodded. He stood to follow Kat out but Leia stopped him before he could. “I need you to do one more thing for me, commander.”

“What is it?”

Leia let out a small sigh. She felt conflicted about what she was going to say next but as a mother, it needed to be done. “Coruscant is Colonel Metonae’s home world. I need you to promise me that you’ll look after her because it may prove difficult for her to be there, especially when you first land. I’ll leave it up to her to fill in the details.”

This wasn’t an order from his general. This was a request from a worried mother. Poe gave her a reassuring smile and a nod. “Of course, general.”

He slowly left Leia's office, trying to wrap his head around his latest mission. He would be working closely with the one woman who hadn't fallen for his charms. Not to mention, it would only be just them. They would not have any backup. All they had was each other if something went wrong and only recently did they actually have some trust in the other. Plus he had no idea of how Kat was going to react to being back on a planet she hadn’t been on since Leia took her in. Needless to say, this week was about to be interesting. 

✧☆✧

She sat in the co-pilot seat, going over their undercover file. Not only did she have to pretend that she was married to Poe, but she would also be returning to Coruscant. She hadn’t been to her home world since Leia took her in. She had of course grown up a lot since then, her looks had matured since she was ten, not to mention her natural blonde locks were kept brown so there was no way those who killed her parents nearly twenty years ago would be able to identify her. She just hated that her home world had returned to being kept under First Order rule. 

“Wow, and here I thought I was going to have to fight you for the pilot seat,” Poe said as he made his way into the cockpit.

Kat turned to look at him, a ghost of a smile on her lips. “Figured, I’d save us a fight. Besides, I’d rather go over details instead of flying.”

Poe plopped down in the pilot chair, chuckling. “So, we’re really doing this?”

“I mean what other choice do we have?”

He gave a small shrug and nodded before taking off. They worked in silence as they flew the ship out of the hangar. Once everything was stable, Kat leaned back in her seat and started to go through the file on her datapad. She mindlessly played with the ring around her neck as she read. It had been given to her so that Poe wouldn’t have to keep his mother’s ring hidden. Leia had figured that would be the easiest way if anyone asked. 

Poe looked over at her periodically as he flew them to the spot they would jump to lightspeed. Since the First Order station, they hadn’t fought as much. Matter of fact his friends kept asking him what he had done to fix it. They had even started leaving cups of caf or tea nearby when they noticed the other looked particularly stressed. Poe a week ago would have never believed that she would be sitting next to him looking so at ease. She always became so rigid when he was around and now she was as relaxed as one could be going back to a world they hadn’t been to since their parents were killed.

Once in hyperspace, he turned to look at her. “So what’s our story?”

“That our parents hated us because whoever came up with these names is awful.” She looked up from her datapad, nose wrinkled in disgust.

Poe laughed. “Well, what are they?”

“You’re Kit, I’m Pip and together we’re the Damerae’s.”

They both locked eyes and soon laughter filled the cockpit. “Oh kriff, that’s bad,” Poe said once he calmed down.

“We’re there for the week to get a feel for the planet because we’re looking to move. We currently live on Hosnian Prime. Still fairly new to marriage. Only been married for six months. Oh, and we also own a restaurant so that can also be used as a reason for why we’re here.” She went through the facts.

“That’s not bad. What relationship details do we need to know?”

“We honeymooned on Naboo. We dated three years before we got married. A mutual friend set us up. They were a cook that I stole from you since we were both managing restaurants before we had the opportunity to go in together.”

“Do you know anything about the restaurant business?” Poe asked, wondering why they had chosen this for their cover.

Kat chuckled, shaking her head. “Not a clue. But the cuisine is very similar to Yavin 4 and Chandrila. So if anything we can talk about our favorite meals and be okay.”

Poe nodded. It all seemed easy enough to remember. He hoped they wouldn't run into any actual restaurant savvy people. "Is there anything else I need to know?"

She stared at him for a few moments, battling with herself on what she should tell him. She knew she promised Leia she would start to open up more but this was too personal. "I haven't been here since I was ten. No one should recognize me or would even remember who I am." She worked hard to keep her voice steady. 

He nodded once again, offering up a smile and a reassuring squeeze to her arm. The alarms started going off then, alerting them that they were approaching their destination. Both pilots set to work so that they could land. 

The fact that he didn’t push stirred something inside of her that she was not ready to examine just yet. She focused on the task at hand instead, helping to guide them into the constant traffic as they maneuvered the skies to their hotel. Once they landed, Poe stood and grabbed his bag, heading to the ramp. He turned to offer his hand, figuring it was time to start with the act, but Kat wasn’t there.

She was still in her seat. The reality of it all keeping her there. She flinched when she saw Poe’s hand, too lost in her own world to have heard him approaching her. He watched her, worried, never seeing the woman who usually filled the room with her presence so lost. She silently took his hand, standing. “Sorry, I don’t typically freeze up like that. Guess it’s hitting harder than I thought.” 

“I’ve been working with you for a while now, Kat, you don’t have to apologize. I know your normal.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

“You’re being weirdly nice to me.” Her eyes squinted as she looked him over.

Poe chuckled. “I’m not that big of a jerk. Plus, Leia warned me that this first day might be hard on you.”

Kat looked up, letting out a small sigh. She didn’t know whether to be angry with Leia or grateful. “Did she tell you why?”

He shook his head. “Said she’d leave that up to you.”

Looked like she was going to tell him soon after all. Now that she knew he had been given some kind of warning, the thought of him trying to get an answer out of her didn’t sit well. “My parents were killed here and I haven’t been back since Leia took me in.” She took a deep breath, preparing herself for the next part, the true reason reality was hitting her hard. “They warned me to not become like my parents but I went and joined the Resistance instead of just giving financial support. Now logically, I know, the people who killed them could be long gone by now but it’s that what if that makes me nervous.”

Poe was taken aback, surprised that she had actually opened up to him. He never once let go of her hand, in fact, he had even started running his thumb across the back of it. “I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I’ve got your back.” He brought her hand up and placed a kiss on her knuckles. 

“Who are you and what have you done with Poe Dameron?” She asked as she watched him, suppressing the butterflies threatening to erupt in her stomach. 

He laughed and let her hand go. “It’s only because Leia would kill me if you didn’t come back. Now come on, we’ve got to check-in.”

A blink and it’s gone smile flashed across Kat’s features before she grabbed her bag and followed him out into the hangar. She slipped her hand back into his, not wanting to think about how she missed his warmth when he let go a few moments ago, and began to swing their hands lightly between them. They needed to look like a couple after all.

The check-in went smoothly. Even the elevator ride was nice. It wasn’t until Poe opened the door that things started to get complicated. Kat had followed him in, taking in the room, wondering how the Resistance was even covering it, when she ran into his back causing them both to stumble forward. She had a quick remark ready on her tongue when she saw the reason he had stopped in the middle of the hallway. There was only one bed.

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” Poe said, mentally preparing for the not so great sleep he was about to get this week.

Kat shook her head. They needed to keep up pretenses just in case. She didn’t want to have a forgotten pillow or blanket on the floor to give them away. “You’re not going to sleep on the floor. We’re both adults. Besides, there are enough pillows on that bed that we can build a barrier between us if you’re so worried about it.”

Poe looked over at her, eyebrow raised. “You sure?”

There was a knock on the door then, causing both of them to turn around and face the door. Kat shook off the quick burst of panic that ran through her before going to go check. If anything this just proved her point. Just before she got too out of reach, Poe grabbed her wrist. “What?” She whispered, glaring at him. 

“You look too clean.” He said as another knock resounded through the room. “We’re practically newlyweds, right? On a semi-vacation.” 

She rolled her eyes, pulling out her hair tie and placing it around Poe’s wrist. She then pulled at the braid to make it look like fingers had been tangled there during a steamy makeout. She tossed her jacket to the floor and then motioned towards her. “That better?” 

A third knock came and Poe nodded as he unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and mused up his curls. Just as Kat opened the door, he wrapped his arms around her, one hand sliding up under her shirt but resting just on her stomach. She stiffened briefly, not expecting for him to be so close, before relaxing back against him, one hand caressing his arm. The droid on the other side of the door had the decency to apologize. “Just wanted to make sure that the room was up to expectations.” It said by way of explanation.

Poe had his face hidden in her neck, acting as though he was kissing her while whispering instructions on how to make her voice sound. 

“It’s just,” she made her breath hitch, “perfect. Thank you.” She bit her lip, letting out a small whine as if she was holding back a moan. While it got the droid to leave, it left Poe wondering what sounds he could really pull out of her.

When the door closed, she spun around in his arms and smacked his chest. “I don’t need you whispering instructions in my ear. I know how to play into a cover just fine, thank you.”

“It’s been a while since you’ve been off base. I just wanted to make sure you remembered.”

“Oh, so now you’re keeping up with how long it’s been since I’ve been in the field?” She raised an eyebrow. 

He smirked at her. “Know your partner, right colonel? Was just wanting to help you get your feet back under ya. Looks like I didn’t have anything to worry about.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed away from him. “Get yourself back together. There are a few places I want to scope out before we start visiting the places our contact frequents.”

“You’re really going to make me look bad?”

She turned back around and smirked at him. “I mean I was faking it anyway.”

“You are a cruel woman, Katerina.” He couldn’t help but chuckle as he shook his head.

Her smirk grew into a cheeky grin. “Oh don’t let your ego take too much of a hit. We won’t be going out via the front desk.”

He looked confused for a brief moment before she pointed towards the large transparisteel doors that led out onto a balcony. He noticed the air speeders going by and it clicked. “Taxi service right to your room.” 

Kat just nodded. “Exactly. Now go get ready.” 

Poe held up his wrist with her hair tie still around it. “You need this back?”

She shook her head. “Keep it. It’ll play into things. I’ve got another.”

“Okay.” He gave a small shrug before going into the fresher to get ready to go out.

✧☆✧

She brought them to a restaurant at first. He was a little surprised at the smile that lit up her features when they found it. It didn’t look like much. A large counter that connected to the open-air kitchen took up most of the space. Small tables were scattered around the rest of the restaurant, a few people were already there eating lunch. 

Kat hadn’t let go of his hand from where she had dragged him in behind her. Her eyes scanned the menu, a small smile graced her features when they landed on what she was looking for. A round woman stood behind the counter taking the orders. She was lively and called each of her customers darlin or sugar. She just fit with the atmosphere of the restaurant. 

“What are we doing?” Poe whispered as they waited in line. 

She looked over to him and pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. “Trust me. I used to come here all the time as a kid. It’s safe.” She turned to face the counter soon after that, hoping that he didn’t notice the heat she felt in her cheeks. She couldn’t believe she had just done that. She started to lean towards being annoyed with Leia over this mission. 

His eyes widened and he wasn’t sure if he was more shocked at the fact that she kissed him or that she took him somewhere she remembered coming to as a kid. And from the rosy color coming to her cheeks, it seemed like she realized what she had done. Was she working on autopilot, so far into their cover that instincts took over? Would this week show him a glimpse of what it would be like to date her?

The woman behind the counter did a double-take when they stepped up that made him nervous. He needed to focus. They were on a mission. No time to think about could've beens if he didn’t stick his foot in his mouth the very first time he met her. She had said that no one would recognize her but it was clear this woman did. Kat, however, seemed unphased by this, continuing to order.

“Can I get two Monty specials please with extra cheese?” Kat ordered and the woman, Ruby, according to her name tag smirked.

Ruby called out to one of the other workers to take over as she motioned for Kat and Poe to follow. Kat dragged Poe behind her as they walked down the length of the counter to a door that was marked employees only. Ruby opened the door and ushered them inside before leading them into a back office. Kat seemed to be calm but Poe kept an eye out for anything and made sure he could come up with an escape route if needed. 

As soon as the office door closed, Ruby pulled Kat into a hug. Poe stepped forward when her hand was pulled away from his, ready to attack if something happened. “As I live and breathe. No one’s ordered that special in twenty years. You can’t be the Metonae’s girl. You’ve grown too much.”

Kat laughed, hugging the woman. “Oh believe it, Ruby. I can’t believe they haven’t shut you down yet.”

“They’ve never been able to catch me, sugar. You sure it’s safe for you to be here?” She looked to the younger woman in concern. 

“Yeah, I’d like to know that too,” Poe spoke up.

Both women looked to where Poe stood, hands placed on his hips. He raised an eyebrow in Kat’s direction, waiting for her to start explaining. Things weren’t adding up. 

Kat let out a sigh, having the decency to look sheepish. “What I told you on the ship was true. I’ve not been here since I was ten and no one should recognize me. My parents came here all the time during the civil war, giving Ruby here information to pass on to the rebellion. I honestly wasn’t sure if it would still be open or if Ruby would even be around or if she would even recognize me. I don’t look the same as when I was ten. I had bangs and had really light blonde hair.”

“You got your momma’s stormy blue eyes though. That’s how I knew. Now, who is this strapping young man you have with you?” Ruby said.

Kat stepped back to Poe’s side, wrapping an arm around his waist and placing a hand on his chest. “Ruby, this is Poe, he’s one of my best pilots and we’re here checking out different restaurants.” She winked. 

Poe gripped her hip and glared at her when she turned to face him. The question of ‘what are you doing’ written all over his face. 

Before Kat could even respond, Ruby just laughed. “Oh, it’s like I’m looking into a time machine. The roles were reversed though.” 

The older woman pulled out the necklace that hung around her neck. There in the pendant, the Rebellion emblem was engraved. “You should trust that sweet thing in your arms, darlin’. She may have been gone a long time but it seems like she still remembers a thing or two. Now, sugar, what are you looking for?”

Kat grinned at Poe, patting his cheek before she pulled away. “We’re meeting up with this girl at the end of the week. Do you know her?” She asked Ruby as she showed the hologram.

Ruby looked at the image closely before shaking her head. “I’m sorry, sugar. I’ve been out of this business for a long time. No one’s asked for that special since your parents, really. I can reach out to my channels and see. We’ve stayed in contact so we can celebrate the Resistance’s good work. You worried she’s turned on you?”

Kat nodded. “Yeah, we are. Just don’t mention my name? I can’t exactly have people knowing I’m back.”

The other woman nodded. “Of course. We look out for our own. Come back in a couple of days and I’ll have that information for ya.” Ruby then pulled Kat in for another hug. “Oh, I don’t think you understand how much hope you brought just by stepping into my shop.”

“It’s good to see you too, Ruby.” Kat gave the older woman a squeeze. “We’ll see you soon.” 

She took Poe’s hand and started pulling him with her. They stopped by the counter and the cook gave Kat a bag that held two sandwiches with a wink. Kat smiled, taking the bag and handed it over to Poe. “Thanks, Mac.” She whispered before she and Poe headed back out to the street.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat comes face to face with the men who haunt her nightmares while Poe learns the details of the fateful day that changed her life forever.
> 
> A small warning - there is a description of people being shot and people holding hands despite the blood on one of the party's hands. It is nothing graphic but just in case skip to after the italicized words to skip over this portion. You won't miss any new information.

“Well, shit this is good,” Poe said after he finished his first bite. 

Kat chuckled, before tucking into her own sandwich. She smiled as the flavor hit her tongue and the warmth from the sandwich spread through her body. “These sandwiches were a special treat. Sure it’s just cheese on toasted bread but I swear they use either special cheeses or butter because I could never recreate it at home.”

Poe shook his head in disbelief. “You’ve been doing all of this since you were a kid. I’m surprised you’re not a higher rank.”

She just shrugged, mouth full from her latest bite. “I’m where I’m supposed to be.”

Not too far from Ruby’s, there was a square for people to gather. It was one of the bigger squares in the main hub of Coruscant. It held press conferences, festivals, and a fountain with the names of the fallen rebels. Rebellion Square was the official name but the locals called it Hope Park. It was believed that if one would toss a coin into the fountain, hope would be restored or a wish would come true. Kat was unsure if she and Poe really should be making their way towards the square but she had to see what had become of it.

She stumbled slightly when they arrived, seeing how run down it had become. The fountain wasn’t running and people were climbing and sitting on it. No one was supposed to be doing that out of respect. Poe caught her arm, helping her regain her balance. “You, okay?”

Kat nodded before maneuvering herself against his side, resting her head on his shoulder. “Don’t hate me,” she whispered, “this is called Hope Park, well, technically it’s Rebellion Square. I had to come see what it looked like now and if my parents’ names were ever added to the fountain.”

Poe let out a sigh. He couldn’t fault her for wanting to know. He would have done the same thing if he was in her shoes. He led them over to the edge of the fountain so they could start looking for the names of her parents. 

Kat took a deep breath to keep the tears at bay. They may have started to tolerate the other more but she was nowhere near comfortable enough to cry in front of him. She gave his side a squeeze as a silent thank you when they silently made their way towards the fountain.

They didn’t have to travel far or anywhere near where the majority of people sat before they found where her family name was carved. There was Corla, her grandmother who was on the Tantive IV. Then underneath were Devyn and Lili, her parents. Next to the Metonaes was Raymus Antilles, Corla’s uncle. A small smile tugged at her lips as she briefly touched the stone. Kat then lowered herself to the ground, tugging Poe with her. 

He draped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his side so they could look like a couple just enjoying a nice day. He hadn’t quite expected her to snuggle in so close. He wasn’t sure about her but ever since they landed, he had been thinking of small gestures that played into their cover. Well, maybe she had if her small kiss in the restaurant was anything to go by. He was just unprepared for how easy and natural it all felt. They had both spent so much time fighting each other that he had forgotten his thoughts about her when he saw her entering the base for the first time.

✧☆✧

He just returned from a routine flight when Leia and another woman were walking through the hangar. The new face was taller than the general but then again so was he and he wasn’t that tall of a man. She was beautiful and he knew he would be in trouble when he heard her laugh at something Leia had said. BB-8 had let out a low whistle, snapping the pilot out of it. “Shall we go say hello?” He asked his droid before getting out of the cockpit.

Hello didn’t actually go as well as he had hoped. She seemed immune to his charms and he soon put his foot in his mouth. After Leia had introduced the two, he realized where he had heard the name before. She was the girl that Leia raised as her own daughter and who had gone on wild benders while in Naboo. They called her the party princess if his memory served correctly. “So what are you doing here, princess?” It was a simple enough question but one she did not appreciate.

“Whatever it is, it’s not to waste my time on cocky pilots like you.” She quipped back before walking away. 

Leia just gave him a look and a pat on his shoulder as if to say, way to go before following after her daughter.

Thus started their constant back and forth. He didn’t see her again for two weeks when she was named colonel over the navy. No one seemed happy about that because apparently in those two weeks she slept and then trained when she wasn’t seen with Leia. 

✧☆✧

Now they were in the middle of a square that was supposed to honor those who had fallen in the Galactic War thirty years prior, cuddled up as if this was absolutely normal for them. He placed his head on top of hers and started to watch the people around them. This was something he could definitely get used to and that scared him a bit because it was Kat who he pictured curled up like this on a couch with him in a home enjoying the peace they had helped bring back to the galaxy.

“Wait, so does this mean you’re related to Wedge Antilles?” Poe whispered as something else clicked in his head. Besides he didn’t want to think anymore about how nice this was.

Kat started laughing. The question had broken her out of her own reverie. She really couldn’t believe that the cocky pilot that she met on her first day arriving on base was the one providing her comfort right now. Silent comfort at that. He wasn’t trying to fill the silence with words, he was just holding her and running his thumb across her arm. It was all very much like it was meant to be this way.

“Yeah, it does. I don’t know if he knows I exist though since I’ve never met him.” She finally answered after she calmed down from her shock.

“Well, again, I don’t understand how you’re not a higher rank.” 

“Well, again, I’m right where I’m meant to be.” They locked eyes then, her words taking on a whole new meaning. It would be easy to just close the small gap between them. They were so close as it was. Poe just about took the leap, they could talk through things later when they weren’t in any danger of blowing their cover until he noticed two men approaching. “Would there be a reason why two men are coming over here?”

Kat’s eyes widened in fear as she stiffened next to him. It happened for the briefest of moments before the look she got on her face when she ran a mission took over, void of any emotions. “They probably just want to stir up some trouble.”

She looked up as the men stopped in front of them. She locked eyes with the man closest to her feet and froze. Only Poe could tell something happened for just as soon as it did, she adjusted herself to sit up a little straighter. Kat came face to face with the man whose eyes still haunted her dreams.

The two men sneered down at the pair. “Do you know whose names you’re sitting in front of?”

Kat shook her head. “No, but I’m sorry for your loss if you knew them.”

The men started laughing and then Poe realized. These were the men that killed Kat’s parents. They needed to leave, now. 

“We always said that if we saw people sitting near the Metonae name, we’d tell the story of how they were traitors but there’s something about you that says you might know that story. You see people usually just sit on the ledge but you two are sitting on the ground in front of it.” The man closest to Kat said.

“Listen, we’re just tourists. We thought it was a better backrest to sit on the ground than the actual ledge since we didn’t really have a set time for how long we were going to stay. We didn’t even realize there were names or that this fountain meant anything especially since it’s not running.” Poe spoke up, getting their attention off of Kat. 

“If you’re just tourists then why did you give condolences?” Well, that lasted long, Poe thought as the men returned their focus on Kat.

“I just assumed. That’s usually why names are on things, to honor their memory but they could have also been donors.”

The man who had eyes as dark as the night, the one that Kat remembered the most, snickered. “Oh, they were donors alright, just to the wrong cause.” He then looked to his companion and motioned towards Kat. “Doesn’t she look a bit like Lili Metonae?”

“Hey! Leave the tourists alone. When will you drop the whole Metonae thing? Their daughter would never come back so stop scaring them or we’re never gonna get people to come here.” Another man called out to the two men, who grumbled and walked away.

Both Poe and Kat gave their savior a grateful smile and a wave. Kat stood first, helping Poe up before dragging him away from the square, trying her best to look as casual as possible. When they were far enough away, she let go of his hand and just ran. Her heart felt like it was going to burst and her lungs weren’t taking in the air she needed but she pushed and she ran because she had to get away. 

Poe tried to catch her, keep her close but she broke free. “Shit.” He mumbled under his breath before taking off after her. “Pip! Babe!” He shouted, hoping she’d stop. That didn’t work. So here he was, chasing her through the streets. 

They were coming up to a crosswalk when he noticed her slowing down. He thanked whatever gods there were that she wasn’t going to try and dodge traffic. He pushed himself to run faster so she wouldn’t get away or decide to turn instead of keeping with her straight path. He reached out a hand, taking hold of her arm to turn her around. “What is going on?” He asked before he even registered that tears were falling down her cheeks and her breathing was far more labored than it should have been.

She tried to pull away, not wanting to have a meltdown in front of him but he just held on tighter and pulled her into his arms. The more she struggled against him the tighter he held on. “Kat, stop. You don’t have to be this put together leader. I’m not going to use this against you in any way.” 

She finally relaxed in his hold at those words. He would analyze that little piece of information later. “Let’s get back to the room, huh? And we can work out everything there.”

She nodded against his chest. Despite their similar heights she had managed to get consumed in his embrace. He hailed a cab, rattling off the hotel name and what floor they were on. Poe helped her out onto the balcony after he paid for the fare. He helped her sit and crouched down in front of her. “What can I do?”

“Did I just mess this up? The mission?” She clarified, wanting to focus on anything else besides her breakdown.

Poe shook his head, reaching up and wiping the remaining tears away. “No. In fact, I’m glad it happened today so the rest of the week we know to avoid that area.”

“I shouldn’t have taken us there.” She sniffled.

He took her hands in his and gave them a small squeeze. “I would have done the same thing. Do you want to talk about it?”

Kat let out a sound that was a mixture of laughter and a sob. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to tell the full thing. We haven’t reached the level of friendship where we share our tragic backstories.” She tried to joke. 

Poe chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

She shook her head. “No, no, you should know.” She let out a small sigh. “Thank you for trying to distract them from me, by the way.” 

He brought her hands up to his lips and pressed a kiss to her fingers. “You weren’t quite as defiant. I knew something was up.” He tried to get her to smile while brushing off her thanks. 

It worked. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips for the briefest of moments before she took a deep breath and started her story. 

✧☆✧

They were shopping, grocery shopping to be exact when the small family was approached by two men. They looked hungry like they could use some help. Her parents being who they were, offered it. They didn’t get a chance. 

Her parents weren’t senators. Her parents weren’t a part of the Rebellion. Her father was a businessman and her mother was a teacher. They sent aid to the Rebellion though and offered up information when they found something out. They were doing what was right and teaching their young daughter to do the same. 

After Coruscant was liberated, they were celebrated as members who contributed. They were also honored because of who they lost in the war. She was sure that’s how people found out who they were. 

Despite the Empire no longer having control, sympathizers still lurked throughout the galaxy. They believed that the Empire was the best way, the right way to live. Most stayed silent, waiting for the day that they could come out of their holes while others did what they could to still be vocal within the laws of the New Republic. It was two of the latter that changed Katerina Metonae’s life, forever. 

The men stepped forward, placing blasters on her parents' stomach while they went on and on about how her parents took their family away. How they wanted Kat to know how they felt. Her parents couldn’t even get the word run out before the blasters went off. Her parents dropped to their knees, still holding onto Kat’s hands, doing their best not to show their daughter how much pain they were in.

The man who shot her father crouched down to Kat’s level. All that was visible was his eyes, dark as the night. “It would be wise if you don’t follow in your parents’ footsteps.” With that, the two ran off.

Kat was confused. What did that man even mean? Why were her parents now on the ground? That’s when she saw the blood and how pale her parents had gotten. She dropped to her knees and grabbed the comlink out of her mother’s pocket and began calling out to the authorities, trying to hold it together. 

Her father patted her knee and smiled at her, growing more tired by the second. His head lulled to the side, not a second later, eyes drifting close. Her mom took Kat’s hand and smiled. “It’s going to be okay, sweet pea.”

Despite the warm, wet feeling, Kat clutched her mom’s hand tight. Not worried in the least bit that her hand was now covered in her mother’s blood. “Don’t go, mom. They’re almost here.” Kat said through her tears.

With her clean hand, she wiped away her daughter’s tears. “Don’t cry, Katerina. We’ll always be with you. I love you so much.” Her hand went slack as she took her last breath. 

Sobs wracked Kat’s small frame as she laid down in the street, holding both of her parents’ hands. The bad thing about living on a planet that was a giant city was that hardly anyone walked on the actual street. The only noise that mixed with Kat’s cries were those of the air speeders above her. 

✧☆✧

Kat leaned forward, resting her forehead against his after telling her story as if it took everything out of her. Poe removed his hands from hers and placed them on her arms, caressing them to try and give her some form of comfort. No wonder she reacted the way she did.

“I really hoped that I would never see them again.” She whispered after a few moments of silence. “They took everything from me, you know? My life here was all that I knew and they took it from me because they thought the rebellion took something from them. They left me so I could feel like they did and for a while I did.

“I was suddenly in a life where my actions affected more than just my family and maker, I was such a little hellion. I’m surprised Leia even brought me under her wing. I was angry, so angry and I mean no wonder Ben thought he could bring me with him when he turned.” She started laughing at what came to mind next, pulling back from Poe. 

“They even told me to not follow in their footsteps! And you know what I did? I became a kriffing colonel for the kriffing resistance.” It seemed that after she opened up she couldn’t stop. She had even glossed over her betrayal with Ben, something she had promised herself to never speak of unless it was with Leia.

Poe was surprised, to say the least. He knew she had to have a story. Sure he also knew that sometimes things were as they were presented but she acted differently around Leia and then around Paige and Rose, especially Rose. She wasn’t as guarded around them and now it seemed that she deemed him worthy enough to let him behind the steel walls she kept around herself. “Well, I’m glad to know that you not listening started out young.” He teased her.

She shoved at his shoulder, smiling as she feigned being indignant. “Me? Look who’s talking.”

He smirked up at her, bringing his hands to rest on either side of her thighs. “Guess that just means we have more in common than we thought.”

She rolled her eyes before watching as he stood. She half expected some kind of kiss and the way he was looking at her lips, it seemed like they were on the same page. He then turned away and she moved up to the headboard to do something other than think of how disappointed she was that twice now they didn’t kiss. 

It was silent between the two as he flipped through the room service menu. She didn’t know why she felt like she needed to fill the space with noise but she apparently wasn’t done with being vulnerable with him. “Thanks for not getting mad or anything.”

How soft her voice sounded and the way she looked so nervous in the reflection of the mirror made his heart stutter. He wanted nothing more than to just wrap her up and tell her that everything was going to be okay. Instead, he just smiled at her. “Thanks for trusting me.”

She returned his smile with one of her own. He thought he was in trouble before when hearing her laugh but seeing that smile that made her seem finally at ease and knowing that he put that there put him far deeper into trouble than he thought possible.

“Is there anything good in there?” She motioned towards the menu. 

“Yeah, it’s not too bad.” He answered as he came over and joined her on the bed, sitting the menu between them. 

They wound up with an entire spread in front of them. They may have fibbed a little and said that they were on their honeymoon so the hotel put in for a special. When the droid had rolled the cart in, Kat had gripped Poe’s arm as she stared in disbelief. What had they just done? As soon as the door closed the pair burst out into laughter. 

“Look at all this food!” Kat exclaimed.

“I mean, we might want to rethink the reason why we’re here.” Poe chuckled.

“You’ve seen it now. Is this somewhere you would really want to honeymoon?” Kat said as she started to make herself a plate.

“That’s probably why they said it was free,” Poe smirked over at her which resulted in a sweetberry being thrown at him. He chuckled as he picked the berry up and popped it into his mouth. “Do you want to open the champagne?”

Kat shrugged. “Might as well.”

It should be known that Kat is not a lightweight. In fact, she earned Snap’s respect by keeping up with him when the team had some hullstripper to share. But by the time that she and Poe finished the bottle of champagne, she was a giggling mess. “No! But you have to understand, he’s like grumpy, really grumpy.” Kat tried to showcase, mimicking the senator she was currently talking about but bursting into giggles each time she tried to make a grumpy face.

It was the most animated Poe had ever seen her. In his drunk state, he wondered if she could ever get this way without the alcohol buzzing through her veins. He couldn’t help but laugh along with her each time she failed at looking like the senator she was telling him about. “Okay, so he’s grumpy, then what happened?”

“Well, no progress was being made and he was just shutting everything down so I was just done with it, ya know?” She continued her story about her latest trip to Hosnian Prime to try and get some more resources and support since the First Order provided a very real threat. “So I,” she paused for more giggling as she remembered the look of horror on the senators’ faces, “stood on top of the table and let them have it.” Her giggling turned into laughter.

“Their faces, Poe!” She laughed. “I’ve never seen faces so utterly shocked. But they had to know about how them just sitting on their asses was going to do more harm than good. And that meeting was going nowhere so I stood on a table, told them off, and sat right back down.”

Poe joined in with her laughter easily. He could picture it clear as day because it wasn’t too far off from something she did in a meeting with his squadron in the beginning. Then she had only stood on her chair but oh did she let them have a piece of her mind. He was sure it was then when his team started taking bets on how long it would take for them to get together. She probably let out a small groan underneath her breath, maybe even rolled her eyes before she climbed up on the table to look down on the senators that sat around it, letting them know how dire their situation was and how they needed to act. “How pissed was Leia?”

“Oh, I got a lecture on how to be more diplomatic.” She giggled, shaking her head at the thought. 

“I’m sure you did.” He chuckled, moving over on the bed when he noticed her ready to flop back down on it.

Her head found a place on his shoulder, a yawn escaping her lips. “I’m tired. Are you tired?”

He chuckled, tucking some hair that had fallen in her face behind her ear. “Is that your way of saying it’s time for bed?”

She nodded, eyes already drooping shut.

“Hey, hey, don’t fall asleep on me now. At least come up to the pillows.” He slowly sat up, pulling her along with him.

She let out a soft groan of annoyance before moving up towards the pillows on her own. She pulled back the covers and tossed away the pillows she didn’t want, sending them to his side of the bed. Once she was situated, she nestled down into the blankets, eyes already closing. “Night, night, Poe.”

He chuckled, working through all the extra pillows so he could climb into bed himself. “Good night, Kat.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the last chapter I have posted on the other site I'm posting this story. So that's why I've posted so many chapters all at once. I hope you've enjoyed the story so far. I can't wait to hear what you think!
> 
> Edit 10/26: Funny enough this is all I've been able to post with my edits for tonight since I wanted to run the chapters through Grammarly one more time. More updates will be coming hopefully this week!


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat doesn't quite know what to do with how open she's been with Poe lately. They still must work together though, for a fear is confirmed and throws a wrench into their original plans.

The next morning, Poe stirred as something tickled his nose. Eyes still closed, his brow furrowed in confusion. He felt the dull ache of a hangover in his skull and why did his right arm feel like there were pins and needles in it? Then there was the question of the added weight on his chest, not enough to where he was pinned down but enough that he could feel a difference. 

The tickle came again and this time he opened his eyes, figuring that whatever was happening he didn’t have to continue to be asleep. He came face to face with a head full of brunette hair that was attached to a body that was curled up against his side, using his chest as a pillow. He didn’t remember taking anyone back to his room last night and typically they were gone by the time he got up. Then again if that was the case, why were they both fully clothed?

He then remembered where he was. This wasn’t just some one night stand. He was on a mission in Coruscant and lying next to him was his colonel, the woman who gave him a headache more times than not, the woman that was starting to grow on him. He slowly moved out from underneath her, not wanting to deal with her temper so early in the morning even if it was he who had reservations about sharing the bed. They’d have to do better and actually put up that pillow barrier because waking up like that was something he could not get used to.

She looked so peaceful. An expression he had never seen on her face when she was awake. The walls she had built around herself usually up but yesterday she had let him in. He pulled the blankets back up around her shoulders, letting her sleep for a while longer. She deserved it after everything she faced the day before. 

Poe made his way down to the lobby where breakfast was currently being served. There was quite the spread laid out and he tried to remember what he had seen her eat on base. Seeing the various teas, he started there first, picking one that he had seen her drink before. As he poured himself a cup of caf, someone walked by with a yogurt parfait, his eyes lit up. He had definitely seen her eating one of those before with an ungodly amount of granola. 

By the time he returned to their room, Kat had woken up. She sat in the middle of the bed, arms stretched above her head as she tried to work out the kinks she had picked up in her sleep. “I see you finally decided to wake up.” Poe teased her.

“It is too early in the morning to deal with your shit, Dameron.” She replied, walls firmly back into place. 

He mentally sighed. He had hoped things would start to be different but it seemed like that was not going to be the case. “Well, then good thing I brought presents.” He sat his cup and plate down on the dresser before handing her the bowl full of yogurt, granola, and fruit, and her cup of tea.

That earned him a smile and a soft thank you before setting her cup to the side and mixing her meal together. They ate in silence, both hiding smiles behind their cups. Hers because she was pleasantly surprised he had gotten her one of her favorite breakfasts. His, because he noticed that she realized he had made her meal exactly how she liked it. Maybe there was hope after all.

“So I thought we could go to Monument Plaza today before going to the Uscru District,” Kat said after she had finished eating.

Poe nodded. “Do you want the shower first?”

Kat smiled. “Yes, please.” She climbed out of bed and went to her bag, grabbing everything that she would need. 

✧☆✧

They claimed a table off to the side of the plaza. When they first arrived, they walked around the mountain peak, even reaching out to touch the rock that was protruding from the ground. Poe didn’t understand the novelty behind it but he kept his mouth shut for once as he watched Kat reach out with a nostalgic look on her face. She touched it for barely a second before pulling her hand away and shaking her head. “I could use some caf, how ‘bout you?” She turned to ask him.

“Yeah, sounds good.” He motioned for her to lead the way. 

Once they had settled, Poe looked at her thoughtfully. “You okay?” He finally asked. There was something off. 

She turned to look at him from where she was watching those in the plaza. “Hmm?” She said as if he had pulled her out of her thoughts. Before he could reiterate his question it seemed to click for her. “Oh, yeah, yeah, I’m fine.” She took a sip of her caf, hoping he would drop it. She had shared plenty with him yesterday, she didn’t exactly want to bare her soul once again. She would have a few words with Leia when they got back to base.

Poe wasn’t buying it. She seemed far too distant and it felt like she was trying to ice him out. He wasn’t going to let that happen. He reached across the table and placed his hand on top of hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “Talk to me.”

They soon entered into a staring match, neither of them willing to budge. As the silence stretched on, Poe kept giving her various pleading and imploring looks to try and get her to crack. She just kept her steady glare but never pulled her hand away from his. He soon rolled his eyes, making Kat think she had won when he leaned forward on the table and gave her his best puppy eyes. 

That made her finally crack. She let out a heavy sigh, looking down at her cup as she pulled back. “I guess I just never realized how much I repressed. This plaza turns into quite the spectacle for Life Day if my memory is correct.”

“I can only imagine.” He replied with a small smile. “You know if things get to be too much, all you have to do is say the word and we can go.”

Her reaction was not what he had been expecting. Frustration covered her features. She was making one last effort to push him away, to keep him outside of her walls because she was so scared of what he could do to her heart if she let him in. “Why are you being so nice to me? We haven’t gotten along since the day we met and now you act as though we’ve been friends for years. I nearly ruined everything the first day we were here and you haven’t said a word about it.”

“Is that what you want, Kat? To have our interactions to only be arguments?” He enjoyed a good banter and the two of them even had moments here and there, more so lately than in the beginning. He even enjoyed teasing her and ruffling her feathers a bit but the constant arguing was beginning to weigh on him a bit. 

“It’s safer that way.” She stood, fully planning on walking away to gather herself so they could pretend to be Pip and Kit, a happily married couple so in love with each other. Of course, things didn’t go as planned.

Poe reached out and grabbed her wrist. She spun back around, glaring at him but she didn’t move to take her hand away and he didn’t let her go. “What is that supposed to mean?”

“I have suffered too many losses and been hurt by too many people. You cause such a stir in me already, I’m scared of what might happen if I let you in completely.” 

His hand went slack as he stared at her in awe. That had been the most honest she had ever been with him and he became utterly floored. He needed to talk to his father or maybe even Leia. Someone to help him wrap his mind around everything and how to maybe win Kat over.

She took that as her moment to make her getaway. She had surprised herself with how honest her answer had been and in true Kat fashion, she wanted to run far, far away from it. So she walked away with no real destination in mind. 

Poe hurried after her once he realized she had left. He slid his hand into hers once he was close enough. She turned with a furious gaze to the person who interrupted her solitude. When she realized it was him, she let out a small sigh, relaxing a bit as she returned her gaze forward. He decided then, he would take whatever he could get.

✧☆✧ 

That night they were seated in a booth at one of the clubs in the Uscru District. It was the perfect vantage point to keep an eye on the whole club. According to their intel, it was one of the few places that their contact hung around. Tension still hung between the two from their previous conversation. They played the part well though, sitting side by side, Poe’s arm draped around her shoulders as they sipped on their drinks. 

When Kat spotted their contact she smacked Poe’s chest as she sat up straighter so she could see a little better. “There she is!” She whispered.

“I see her. I see her.” He rubbed at the spot that she hit, chuckling softly.

She rolled her eyes, patting his hand as she kept watch, silently telling him that he’d live. She grew wary though when the man with the dark as night eyes approached her. It seemed like the two knew each other and that made her freeze up. Their contact was talking to one of the men who killed her parents. “I don’t have a good feeling about the end of the week anymore.” She said, looking up to Poe. 

“You said he was just a sympathizer, right? He’s not dressed in any sort of uniform and it seemed like he was in some sort of theft ring yesterday.” Poe tried to ease her fears.

“Doesn’t mean that he can’t sell intelligence to the First Order. He could be a middle man for all we know.”

“Touche. Let’s just -” He stopped speaking when he saw their contact slide something across the bar to the man. “Okay, yeah, I don’t have a good feeling about the end of the week either.”

“We need to go. Contact base and make a plan from there. Ruby’s people might know something too.” 

Poe nodded and led them outside of the club. He kept Kat close, blocking her from view and keeping his head turned slightly so it would be difficult to see his face. Once outside, Kat pulled away so she could hail a taxi but she only went as far as an arm’s length away, keeping her hand in his.

When they got back to their ship, Kat dialed the number they used to scramble their communications before putting in the command center’s number. “This is Navy Leader to base. Can you hear me base?”

“We read you loud and clear, Navy Leader.” Leia’s voice came through the comm speakers, causing Kat’s face to light up. She had thought she was going to have to request for Leia to come over. 

“Our fears were correct. Black Leader and I just saw our contact with a known consort of the First Order. How would you like us to proceed?” 

There was silence for a few tense moments. Kat and Poe looked towards each other as they waited for a response. “Proceed as planned but make sure you are ready for any threat that may come your way.”

“Copy that.”

“May the force be with you both,” Leia said before the comm clicked off. 

Kat let out a deep breath before working to turn everything off. “You can go back to the room. I need to think through things.”

“Then I’ll just go check on things in the cockpit, make sure she’s ready for a speedy getaway,” Poe smirked as he walked past her. 

She gave him an exasperated look as he passed causing him to chuckle. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was unaware that was an order, colonel.”

Kat groaned and focused back on pulling her batons out of her bag. “I don’t care what you do, just don’t distract me.” She then started to pace, twirling her batons at her side. 

Their contact had turned on them. They had no clue what was on that drive and now they had to wait three more days until they met with her. Ruby was putting feelers out in her network and they would get an answer tomorrow. They of course were already planning on concealing weapons on their meet just in case but this just turned into a very real possibility that they’d have to use them. They would have to watch their backs without setting the contact off and then have to make a speedy, clean getaway so their base location would remain unknown to the First Order.

She needed a map of their meeting point or at least to go there so she could visualize all exit points they could use. Not to mention they’ll have to check whatever they’re given doesn’t have a tracking device on it. She needed more information that she currently didn’t have and it was driving her crazy.

The next thing she knew her batons were being taken from her and being replaced by a hand and a shoulder. She barely even registered Poe’s quip of, ‘okay, give me these.’

“I said don’t distract me.” She looked to him as he began to sway them around in a circle. When did the music start playing?

“You’ve been pacing this ship for the past five minutes. I’m surprised you haven’t worn out the floor. Now talk to me. What have you been thinking?”

“What are you doing?” She asked instead. 

“We’re dancing. It’s something my parents used to do. It keeps you moving like your pacing and then it allows you to talk through whatever is going through that head of yours.” He said with a small shrug.

Kat let out a small sigh. He truly made it so difficult to keep her distance when he did something like this. “I don’t think we have to change too much but the changes are big ones. We need to make sure we know our available exits like the back of our own hands. We’ll more than likely have to use our weapons. Then of course we have to make sure that the drive or whatever it is that she gives us isn’t a tracker.”

“You did all that pacing for…” He trailed off before he realized. He chuckled softly, shaking his head as she lightly smacked his shoulder. “You were trying to plan out our escape, weren’t you?”

Her cheeks became a rosy pink at how nonchalant he had asked his question as if he had known how she operated for years. Then again they had known each other for two but he never seemed to catch on before. Telling her all the time that she planned too much, that she took the fun out of it all. 

“I’m going to take that as a yes.” To tease her a little further he twirled her around before bringing her back into his arms again. When she still didn’t retaliate, he smirked. “You act as though I’ve not seen you work for the past two years. You can plan out every worst-case scenario in your head but nothing you come up with is ever going to be what actually happens. I’ve teased you about that for years. We’ll go tomorrow after seeing Ruby so we can walk the perimeter of the plaza so we can know our exits. Then we go about things as originally planned and use that instinct I know you have.”

His smirk turned into a cheeky grin as he looked at her. “See, I can make plans too.”

Kat rolled her eyes and pulled away. Picking up her batons, she gave his arm a slight tap before walking away. He leaned against the paneling as he watched her go. “I’m going to take that as a great plan, Dameron. Don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”

“You are so obnoxious. Make sure you clean up before coming back inside.” And with that, she was gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the love this story has received so far. I hope you enjoyed this latest chapter just as much!
> 
> EDIT 10/27: I'm continuing with updating these chapters with all edits that I've made so far. I hope you've enjoyed them and thanks again for the continual support!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day to meet with the contact has arrived. Then of course there's the aftermath of that meet and the figuring out of where to go after the week they shared.

The day of the drop had finally arrived. They had gone back to Ruby’s and her information had confirmed their fears. They just didn’t know what kind of information their contact gave to the First Order. They had their suspicions though when their meeting place was changed from somewhere in CoCo Town to Monument Plaza. 

Kat grew nervous that the First Order now knew that she and Poe were coming to the drop. If the First Order knew then surely Kylo Ren did too. She worried that the ex-Jedi would make an appearance or at the very least try to kidnap her. She didn’t tell Poe of these fears, wanting them to be focused on the task at hand and not worrying about not leaving someone behind. 

Poe landed their ship just a couple of blocks away from the plaza. It was public parking and there were various entry points so they could make it from anywhere they might be running from. The urge to walk to the meeting point, hand in hand was strong but they no longer had to keep up with their cover. They were Poe and Kat again. Kat wasn’t even wearing the ring anymore.

It started off well. The drive was given, claiming to have the location of Lor San Tekka. The drive itself looked just fine. It would have even passed off as a typical drive if they weren’t looking for anything that would tip them off. The casing wasn’t quite put together, which caused Kat to pry it open. Just on the inside was a small tracker. Kat pulled it out as the contact was apologizing over and over. 

“Kat, we’ve got incoming,” Poe said as she stomped on the tracker and now hurried to put the drive back together thanks to his warning. 

She turned to look over her shoulder and saw that it was the two men who had killed her parents. She then turned back to face their contact and saw two stormtroopers coming in from the other side. “Seems like they sent a team.” She then turned to the contact. “I hope this was worth it.”

With that, she and Poe took off running. Shouts from all parties were heard as they maneuvered through the crowds. She was just glad that the First Order seemed to have some good sense and not shoot into the crowds. That was of course moot when they decided to pull away from it and go through a side street to get to their ship. 

“Get that Metonae girl!” The dark-eyed man bellowed which pushed Kat faster.

Poe pulled her into a small space between two buildings as the blaster fire started. They both inched far enough away from the entrance that they wouldn’t be seen, blasters aimed at both entrances of the alleyway. 

The alley was just big enough they could go down it single file but standing chest to chest like they were, they could feel when the other took a breath. They stayed at the ready even after the men and troopers chasing them had passed. Waiting a few more minutes to make sure all was well before they detangled themselves and hurried to the other end of the alley. 

"Clear." They both said as they looked down the street in different directions. 

Kat stepped out of the alley and holstered her blaster once again. "Probably should still run to the ship, huh?"

Poe nodded. "Yeah, probably." He took a deep breath and her hand before he started jogging, picking up his pace to a run when he knew that she was keeping up with him.

They raced up the ramp and into the cockpit, barely even sitting in their seats before starting with the pre-flight protocols. Once they broke atmosphere, they waited a few minutes before jumping to lightspeed to make sure that they weren't being followed.

Kat grinned when she gave the go-ahead. As the stars turned blue, she stood, patting Poe's shoulder. She wasn't entirely sure how things were going to change between the two once they got back to base. They had gotten closer, that was for sure, but she couldn't give the rest of the way in yet. They practically hated each other's guts for the first couple of years after all. Surely it couldn't be as simple as offering a cup of caf and a hand with simple repairs to make that shift into not constantly butting heads.

She pulled out her datapad and plugged in the drive. She checked through everything to make sure nothing had downloaded onto it. They didn't need another tracker fiasco. When she was sure that nothing had been added, she cautiously opened the file that was on the drive to see where Lor San Tekka could be.

"Find anything good yet?" Poe asked, coming to stand next to her so he could look over her shoulder at the datapad.

She shook her head, moving the datapad slightly so it was more in between them so it'd be easier on Poe to see. "Not really." 

"Yeah, this just looks like a bunch of locations from the Jedi Order," Poe said as he looked through the intel.

"Ooh, wait, go back," Kat said when Poe flipped ahead too quickly. Her eyes scanned the document for what she was looking for. "He's on Jakku!" She exclaimed when she found what she was looking for. The document was a scanned letter from the old historian to someone whose name she didn't recognize. 

"Looks like we were successful after all." Poe smiled at her.

"Looks like it indeed. Now, let's get back home."

✧☆✧

Once on base, the pair immediately made their way towards Leia's office. While they weren't holding hands, they were definitely standing closer together than they typically would. The small distance kept between them was usually reserved for those they were close to and got along with. It seemed like the mission was successful in more ways than one.

Before they could make it to Leia's, Rose hurried over and wrapped Kat into a hug. "I'm so glad you're back." She smiled looking between her friend and the pilot that was often the topic of venting sessions. "I want as many details I can get but a comm is going off in your room and I can’t find it and it's been going off for a while."

“Missed you too, Rose.” Kat smiled while rolling her eyes despite the worry creeping up on her. There was only one commlink she kept hidden and the fact that it was ringing made her extremely nervous. 

She handed the drive over to Poe. "Let her know that I'll be there shortly. Apparently, I have someone who's been trying to contact me since I've been away."

Poe nodded before continuing to Leia’s office.

"Well, you didn't kill him…" Rose trailed off trying to get something out of her best friend as they made their way to Kat's room.

Kat couldn't help but laugh. "Nice try, Rose but I'm afraid this past week is classified." She smirked at her friend who groaned in frustration. 

"Oh, c'mon Kat. Can't you tell me something? You went a whole week with the one person who seems to push your buttons far more than anyone else and you came back not looking ready to just be absolutely done with him."

"This week was certainly full of surprises." She stopped outside her room door, hearing the sharp trill of her commlink ringing. "I'll see what I can tell you after I talk with Leia. Happy?"

Rose grinned. "Not the details I want but I'll take it." She gave her one more hug. "Good to have you back, Kat."

Kat just smiled and once Rose was far enough away, slipped into her room. She walked to her closet and pulled the commlink out of the small box that she had kept some of her childhood things in. She hurried to the en suite, thanking the Maker she had her own private quarters. Taking a deep breath, she answered the comm. "Thought you almost had me, didn't ya?" She asked, teasing the person on the other line. 

The comm was a private line and she had modified it so that the signal would scramble. That way it could never be traced to her physical location, for the person on the other end of the line was none other than Kylo Ren.

"I killed those men for you." He said instead of letting her push his buttons. He of course was upset that the troopers he had sent couldn't get her. He was beginning to get tired of trying to convince her to join him. He figured if he could get her on a Star Destroyer, show her everything and how she could make it all better, she would finally join him like he's wanted for the past six years.

"Am I supposed to be grateful?" She asked, making her voice sound void of any emotion when she in fact was taken aback. The men who haunted her nightmares, who had killed her parents, were no longer alive. The man who she once called brother had killed them seemingly for her. She honestly didn’t know how to feel.

"Well, yes. I told you I would protect you. Did you get what you were looking for?"

"I did. I'm not telling you anything though." She ignored the pang in her chest at his promise, the words he had told her the first night he tried to get her to follow him to the dark side.

Kylo chuckled. "I'd expect nothing different but we now know the same information. So let the race begin, Katerina."

And with that, the connection died and Kat burst into action. Not even bothering to hide the comm again before running to Leia's office. Kat nearly ran into the door as she hurried inside. As soon as she saw the woman who raised her, she started spewing out everything she knew, not caring that Poe still sat in front of Leia's desk.

"We need to move now. The First Order knows his location as well, we've got to get there first."

Poe looked up at her like she had grown a second head. "How do you know this? Who called you?"

"Don't worry about it." She shot off, keeping her focus on Leia. "Have you reached out to Tekka, yet? Told him we're coming? Hell, I'll go now. It's just another simple drop."

"I hoped we had moved past this," Poe mumbled beside her.

She turned on him so quickly. "When I say don't worry about it, commander, I mean don't worry about it. Just know I have important intel that has to be acted upon, right now."

Poe stood, ready to let her have it. He would not be spoken down to, least of all by her and in front of Leia, no less. He wasn't going to let her push him away when he knew more of her tricks now to keep people at bay. He had just opened his mouth when Leia shouted, "sit down!"

Both of them turned to look at the older woman before doing just as she had asked. 

"Now, I will be having none of that. You two just pulled off a successful mission. I will not have you two back at each other throats practically just after you've stepped foot back on base. I have reached out to Tekka. I did the minute you commed to tell us his location. He is expecting Commander Dameron tomorrow. We will still be ahead of the First Order." She then turned to Poe. "Be patient with her and you'll find out soon enough. Now go get ready for your mission. I wish to speak with Colonel Metonae alone."

Kat looked at Leia like she had lost it. How could she expect her to tell Poe ‘oh by the way I still contact my brother who happens to be Kylo Ren from time to time on a private comm and sometimes he calls me’. Poe looked between the two women and nodded before leaving. 

Once the door shut, Kat spoke her mind. "You can't be serious. Be patient with her? Leia, I can't tell him or anyone else on this base that I'm still in contact with Ben. They'd think I'm double-crossing the Resistance. They wouldn't understand. They know that he's your son and yet no one ever mentions it. So surely they also ignore the fact that we’re practically siblings. Just because Poe saw me deal with a few things does not mean that we are the best of friends now, or even going towards whatever it is you're trying to make happen. Be patient with her, ha! If I have any say in the matter he's never going to see me weak like that again."

Leia just shook her head, letting out a sigh. "He told me what you said, about being scared. This is your fear talking. You can't live your life without having people in it. They will always come and go no matter how hard you try to keep them out. He cares about you, let him. And you care about him. I've seen how you look relieved after he returns from doing something reckless."

"Ben killed my parents' murderers," Kat said instead, not wanting to think about Poe or the truth behind Leia's words.

Leia just gave Kat a look of disappointment before going along with the topic change. "Is that why he called?"

She shrugged. "I guess so. And to tell me they knew about Jakku as well."

"Are you okay?"

It was Kat's turn to sigh. "I guess? He said he did it because he told me he would protect me. I was too shocked to really say anything. He wanted me to be grateful and in some ways, I am, in a twisted sort of way I guess. I just feel like he did it for an ulterior motive."

Leia stood and walked around her desk to stand in front of Kat. "In maybe that same twisted sort of way, it gives me hope that Ben is still in there." She took Kat's hands in hers and squeezed them. "Now, I believe you have a pilot to go speak to."

Kat groaned. "Please don't make me. It'll be simpler if we just let things go back to how they were."

"I'm afraid that's not on the table." 

Kat stood with a huff, glaring towards Leia. "I'm a grown woman. You can't make me do things that I don't want to anymore. And I will not be taking it as a general's order because this has nothing to do with the Resistance." She said as she walked to the door.

Turning around after opening it, she gave the older woman a small smile. "See you at dinner?"

Leia just laughed and nodded, shooing the younger woman out.

✧☆✧

Despite not being ready to tell Poe about Ben just yet, it didn't mean that she couldn't apologize for snapping at him. After this past week, he deserved that much. While she wouldn’t admit it to Leia’s face, the older woman had been right. She found him by her door after having learned he was unloading the ship they had taken to Coruscant. "Hey." She said when he looked to see who was coming down the hall.

"Are you here to tell me I've overstepped again?" He asked.

She shook her head, stopping just a few feet away from him. "I was looking for you to apologize. I snapped at you when I shouldn't have."

Poe placed a hand to her forehead, staring down at her with a cheeky grin. "You feeling okay? Because I think you just apologized to me."

Kat rolled her eyes and pushed his hand away. "I thought we had moved past this." She said, throwing his words back at him.

"Touche."

She let out a sigh and took his hand in hers, swinging their arms slightly between them. "Listen, what you saw this past week is barely even the surface of all I've got going on. I promise to do my best to not let old habits come back. Things seem to work out better when we work together so this is me apologizing and promising to do better."

Poe could honestly kiss her, right now, this very moment and not think twice about it. He had told Leia what had happened at their first visit to Monument Plaza and had asked her what he should do. She had told him to continue showing up for Kat and to let the lion-hearted girl come to him in her own way. This definitely felt like the latter. He brought Kat's hand up to his lips, kissing her knuckles instead. "Apology accepted and I promise to do the same."

All Kat would have to do is pull on his hand and their lips would meet. This felt like something she had never experienced before in her life full of heartbreak and it truly scared her. This impulsive pilot standing in front of her could steal her heart right out of her walls and at this moment she was sure she would let him. Instead, she made sure everything was locked tight as she let go of his hand and gave him a small smile. "Thanks for grabbing my bags. Now go get ready for your next assignment."

Poe just smirked at her before heading off.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia has sent her most daring pilot on a secret mission to Jakku, where an old ally has discovered a clue to Luke’s whereabouts…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm posting a day later than I typically do so I apologize for that. The first day back after a vacation is always rough. We have officially entered The Force Awakens territory so I hope that makes up for my tardiness. Can't wait to see what you think! Happy reading :)
> 
> EDIT 10/27: More of Kat's back story was added here. More of her time on Naboo started to become clearer as I worked through things and well I just had to go back and add it. Hope you enjoy!

Kat stood at her command center, pretending to go through the motions of prepping for a new mission. Everything of course had already been done but she was passing time until Poe’s team finished with their send-off. She had checked in with BB-8 and it seemed like CB-23 had gotten the orange and white astromech to lighten up on her some. The droid cheerfully beeped at her when telling her that everything was fine and ready to go whenever Poe finished talking. 

She even told the droid that it was nice to have them back. After all, the fact that BB-8 sassed about how long Poe took to say goodbye and let her tease Poe along with them was a big win. She of course would miss her CB unit but the red and blue astromech promised to keep Kaz in line for her. Kat had no doubt about that, laughing at the fact as she said goodbye to CB-23 the day before when Poe went to switch out droids.

Just as she was about to put on her headset, Poe walked over to her. He leaned against the command center, arms loosely crossed over his chest as he began to list all of the mission details to her. The run-through was typical. Kat made all of her commanders do it before leaving on a mission so that she knew they understood the details. This time though he didn’t sound like an exasperated child doing something that he didn’t want to do. “No comms this trip. Should be back within 24 hours. If not, the rendezvous point is just outside Niima Outpost and a transport will show up in 48 hours after I haven’t returned. That all sound correct?”

She turned to look at him, a smirk fully displayed. She really couldn’t help but tease him. She normally would send him off with a warning of not doing anything stupid to just hurry up and get him away from her. This time though things had shifted between them and she wanted to give him a proper send-off. “Look at that he does listen.”

Poe rolled his eyes as he fought the urge to smile. “Anything else, colonel?”

Kat pulled a commlink out from a drawer and handed it over to him. “For emergencies only. I’m impatient.”

He gave her a knowing smile and pocketed the commlink before pulling her in for a hug. If she didn’t want to come right out and say it, he could play that game. Instead of letting her know that he would be fine with his words, he let his hug speak for him.

Kat stiffened, especially after she heard the rest of Black Squadron gasp. The team of course hadn’t gone too far, wanting to see the interaction between their two leaders. She knew the minute she let herself hug him back the whispers would start up again. She just didn’t know what they would say this time. 

“May the Force be with you.” She said as she pulled back, pushing him slightly away to silently tell him to get going. He had this look in his eye and she was not about to get caught up in it. 

✧☆✧

There may have been no communication but they were keeping track of the X-Wing Poe took. A warning signal started sounding as it showed the damage that the starfighter had taken. Kat watched, hoping that BB-8 would be able to fix the damage. The actual minutes that passed felt like hours. The red light blinking up at her told her that the fighter was no more. She didn’t want to believe it, couldn’t believe it, wouldn’t believe it. 

Kat pushed away from the command center and pulled out her commlink. Her breathing started to quicken as she thought of all of the different scenarios that could be happening on the other end on a planet miles away from where she currently stood. She briefly wondered if this was what Wes and the others on her team felt like when she had been captured during the riots.

“Navy Leader to Black Leader, do you copy?” Silence greeted her in return. She tried to take a few deep breaths as she began to pace back and forth. Trying not to think about how Poe had taken her in his arms a few days before to dance with her so that she would stop pacing. “Navy Leader to Black Leader, do you copy?” She tried again, doing her best to keep her voice steady.

On her next pass, she noticed Leia standing there. The look the older woman gave wasn’t of a general looking to a colonel who had snuck a communication device into a no communication mission. No, this was a mother coming to support her daughter. Kat felt the tears stinging at her eyes but pushed them down. The crew was not about to see her cry. Instead, she pushed her fear into anger and stepped forward so that she now towered over the woman who raised her. “This is why I didn’t want to let him in.” She hissed before turning to go to her command team. 

“I need a med team ready in 48 hours along with a small extraction crew. Prepare for the worst. I also want eyes and ears on the lookout for any sign from not only Commander Dameron but his BeeBee unit as well.” She ordered, a chorus of agreements was heard before she stormed out of the hangar.

Leia followed, stepping into Kat’s room before the younger woman could close the door. As soon as Leia closed the door, Kat sunk down on her bed with a heavy sigh and continued to fight back her tears. Leia sat beside her, pulling the woman into her arms. 

The moment Kat felt Leia’s arms around her the tears finally fell much to her disappointment. She didn’t want to believe that Poe was gone. She couldn’t. She may not be force sensitive but she did have intuition and she also knew her brother. He wouldn’t give up a chance to get information. She had to go out to Jakku and find out herself. She had to go and rescue him.

“You’re going to go personally, aren’t you?” Leia asked after she let Kat cry for a few moments.

Kat nodded. “I have to know for sure.” She had to pay her own rescue mission forward. She didn’t die either time she came close to death for a reason.

“Then who am I to stop you.”

Kat pulled away, wiping at the tears that were stubborn enough to fall even with all her effort. “I would have gone if you said I could or not.”

Leia chuckled and patted her leg. “You know, you were still right to let him in.”

“Was I?” She scoffed. “I feel like I personally gave him the kiss of death. You are the exception to the heartbreak that seems to follow me everywhere I go, not the rule.”

“I don’t believe that you think he’s truly gone. Or why else would you get a team together and not jump in an A-Wing yourself to check?”

Kat sighed before explaining how she felt, what her intuition was telling her. “Something tells me that if he truly thought he was in danger, he would have made contact. We haven’t heard a word which means he was either taken completely by surprise or he has some plan in mind.”

Before Leia could respond, the comm crackled to life. “Looks like you won the race, Katerina.” The voice of Kylo Ren came through. He had his suspicions when the stormtroopers had found the commlink in the pilot’s jacket pocket. The pilot had done his best to hide the brief moment of fear that crossed over his features when the commlink had been taken away. So he knew it had to link back to the Resistance somehow. Knowing the woman, a part of him still called sister, he knew that it had to be Kat’s doing.

Kat froze, looking at the commlink still gripped in her hand. Did she answer back? Did she just let him talk? She looked to Leia who just shook her head. Letting him talk seemed to be the decision.

“Your pilot has managed to not tell anyone what he’s done with the map but I’ll know soon enough. Or you could just tell me and I’ll let you say goodbye.” Kylo continued.

That just confirmed it. Her brother had Poe captive. Kat gripped her sheets as memories of her own time as a POW came to mind. While she studied on Naboo, there was plenty of unrest as those who believed in the First Order wanted to take it over, to make it one of the many planets that were falling to the First Order’s rule because it was the home planet to the Emperor. While Kat had originally gone to not join the fight just yet, the riots and attacks happening right in front of her, she couldn’t ignore. She joined in the counter-effort and while she used what she had learned so far, she was still far from the commanding officer she was currently. 

She went to go help rescue a classmate but acted without thinking through a plan resulting in both her and the classmate getting captured. She was behind enemy lines for two weeks where she was tortured. They planned to break her and any others they got to bring them back up again as a follower of the First Order. The man who would become her best friend there and a few others had rescued her. 

Kat shook her head and focused back on the present. Her brother had Poe and she still needed to know what became of BB-8. She began calculating how much time it would take her to get to Jakku and to the Star Destroyer she was sure they would be on.

Kylo let out a frustrated sigh when there was still no response. “I know you’re there, Katerina. You must not be alone or you would have said something by now.” 

Kat couldn’t keep still anymore even if Leia tried to put a comforting hand on her bouncing leg. She stood, ready to get a team ready much sooner than 48 hours, ready to storm out of her room and jump into a fight. Leia let out a sigh, knowing it was now a lost cause to keep Kat quiet. She motioned for Kat to say whatever it was that was on the tip of the young woman’s tongue. 

“I’m sorry you must have gotten your numbers mixed up, sugar. But from the sounds of it you and that pilot must be hungry so don’t you worry, a delivery is on its way.” She said in her best impression of Ruby before turning off the commlink and running back out to the hangar. 

“I need that medic and extraction team ready now!”

✧☆✧

Kylo Ren growled when the comm clicked off, throwing it to the side. To anyone else’s untrained ear, they would have thought, it really was someone else entirely. But he knew those words were meant more for the pilot than for him. It let the pilot know that help was on the way. He was caught between getting the location of the map out of this pilot who seemed to be laughing or going to prepare for whatever attack Kat could possibly plan. He could always deal with the colonel himself but he needed to know the location of Luke Skywalker, immediately.

“You’ve done it now, pal.” Poe continued to chuckle. “She’s not really one you should anger.” What Kat had said had given him hope. She was on her way to bring him home. He twisted his wrist, feeling her hair tie around his wrist. He had forgotten to give it back to her after their mission together and when he realized it he was already halfway to Jakku. The small added weight had kept him grounded as the Stormtroopers tortured him. Now the added pressure just added to the relief at the knowledge that she was on her way.

He just needed to pick up BB-8 from the rendezvous point and they could continue on their search. Not to mention he would love to see Kylo Ren face the wrath that he knew Kat could bring to the coward who hid behind the mask.

Kylo Ren scoffed and took a menacing step towards Poe who was shackled to a table. Clearly, the pilot hadn’t put two and two together. Unless Kat had kept her relations to Leia secret but he highly doubted that. He knew how important family was to her. It was one of her reasons for not joining him. “She’s no match for the First Order. Now, where is the map?” He returned to the interrogation at hand, not wanting to think anymore about the younger of the two women who could make him falter in his path to becoming as great as his grandfather.

Soon Poe’s agonizing screams could be heard before all went quiet and Kylo Ren stormed from the room, planning to order General Hux to find that droid. 

✧☆✧

The second that the transport landed, Kat ran down the ramp and out into the desert heat. She looked frantically for Poe but there was no sign of him. That's when she noticed the state the outpost was in. "Go ahead and prepare the bed. I'm going to go see what happened." She called out behind her before making her way to Niima Outpost.

"Excu-" she was cut off before she even began by the vendor shutting the window in her face. She was just about to bang on the metal when another vendor came up to her. "Don't mind him. He just lost a droid and one of his employees. He's not the best person to ask for favors anyway. Come, come we must get you out of this heat."

Kat was led to a tent that held plenty of scarves. The Resistance colonel knew that the vendor wasn’t doing this out of the goodness of their heart but because they could make a profit off of giving her information. "Sorry for the mess, it's usually more presentable." The vendor said.

"What happened here?" Kat asked.

"The First Order. Probably after that droid. Don't see many like it around here." 

"What did the droid look like?" Could it have been BB-8? She didn’t see the astromech anywhere but surely if the vendor knew where the droid possibly could have gone, Kat could rescue it.

The vendor pulled down a gray scarf and held it out to her. Kat let out a sigh and took it, handing over what little money she had on her, not wanting to play the pay for each question game. The vendor smiled and motioned for Kat to put the scarf on. "It was orange and white. A girl kept watching over it."

That made Kat worried but then again BB-8 wouldn't stick around someone they didn't trust. She knew that from experience. "Did you see anything else?" Kat asked, hoping the vendor saw what happened to the droid.

The vendor shook their head. "Just the TIE fighters. One even crashed out near the sinking fields before they attacked the post."

Kat stood, hope bursting in her chest despite the grim news. She would either be greeted with stormtroopers or an escaped Poe. "How do I get there?"

"Head North until you see the sand move underneath you. Just don't stand there for too long."

"Thank you." Kat hurried out of the tent and started making her way back to her ship when she noticed the speeder. She commed in her plan and hopped on the speeder coincidentally left behind by the girl who was looking after BB-8. 

✧☆✧

By nightfall, Kat reached the edge of the sinking fields. She stopped the speeder and pushed up the goggles left behind, trying to see if she saw anything that could look like a person. That's when she noticed someone trudging up the dune that marked the edge of the field just to the left of her.

His jacket was missing and he looked awful. His curls were sticking up at odd angles. Blood, grease, and just overall grime practically covered every inch of him. "Poe?!" She called out, cautiously optimistic since it was night and he was a bit away from her. 

His head snapped in the direction of her voice, giving her a clearer view of his face. "Poe!" She exclaimed as she jumped off the speeder and ran to him. The smile on both their faces made the stars above them look dull.

Poe let out a soft groan as Kat wrapped him in her arms but he didn't care. He just held onto her like his life depended on it. He felt like he had just been through hell. His mind still felt like needles were sticking in it from where Kylo Ren forced his way into his thoughts. Then, even though he had only known Finn for not even an hour, that was one more man on his ledger of deaths he couldn’t prevent. Then not to mention the injuries he had sustained before Kylo walked in and even the bruised ego afterward when Kylo made a snarky comment about the woman in his arms. All in all Katerina Metonae was a sight for sore eyes and the fact she looked so thrilled when she saw him eased some of the pain.

"You're not supposed to be here for another 24 hours." He joked instead of expressing just how relieved he was to see her.

"I told you I was impatient." She said as she let out a sigh of relief. Of course, she had been worried when she saw that the X-Wing was no more but as soon as Kylo Ren came over the commlink, she began to worry even more. But here he was in her arms, alive and she was so glad that she wouldn’t have to add him to the ledger of people who left her. She pulled back and wrapped his arm around her shoulders so she could help him to the speeder. "I've got a med team waiting for ya. Just hold on a little longer for me."

"You got it, colonel." He slurred just slightly now that he wasn't pushing his body forward. He felt relaxed enough that his injuries were truly starting to take a toll. Even if it seemed like he had been out cold for the remainder of the day.

She miraculously got him onto the speeder. Once they were both settled she pushed the speeder as fast as it could go. They made it back to the transport and as soon as he stepped off, he nearly fell. Both Kat and one of the medics had caught him before he dropped completely. 

The medic team whisked Poe away despite him trying to keep Kat close. "I've got to get us back home then I'll be there." She promised, squeezing his hand before heading to the cockpit. She found his constant asking about her whereabouts endearing to the point where she had to school her features back into a more stoic expression instead of the smile she wore.

She told the pilot to go ahead for takeoff before she went to contact the base. "Package is secure. Headed back to base. We need to put out a call for our friends to be on the lookout for BB-8. He was not at the rendezvous site and was last seen with a female." She informed them.

"Copy that Navy Leader. We'll see you back at base." Connix replied.

Kat turned off the commlink and made her way to the section of the transport they had made into a med bay. They had cleaned him of all the blood and grime that had covered his face and matted his hair. He laid on the bed in a bacta suit and after looking through his list of injuries, she was surprised they weren't doing more than that. 

"I was beginning to think you forgot about me." He commented, startling her out of her reverie. He had looked to be asleep when she entered. 

She chuckled and moved to sit beside him, taking his hand in hers. "I don't think I could even if I tried."

"Is BeeBee here?"

She shook her head. "I requested for our friends to be reached out to so they can be on the lookout."

He just nodded and squeezed her hand. 

She let out a sigh and brought his hand up so she could place a kiss to the back of it. "Next time you go on a solo mission, try not to scare me so much, will ya?"

"You were worried about me, colonel?" He gave her a lopsided grin.

Kat just rolled her eyes. "Who else was I gonna annoy? Snap?"

Poe scrunched his nose and shook his head. "Kare likes you too much so he wouldn’t be able to properly annoy you back."

"See, so I have to keep you around."

"You can't get rid of me that easily anyway."

She laughed a bit. "So I've noticed. Now get some sleep. You've had a bit of a day."

He chuckled, squeezing her hand. "Will you stay?"

She nodded and stood, placing a kiss on his forehead. "I'll just be right here," she pointed to the bench that was by his bed, "so I won't be too far away. I don't want to accidentally hit something on the suit in my sleep."

Kat started to pull away but Poe pulled her down once more, kissing her cheek. "Thanks for the rescue."

She smiled down at him. "Get some sleep commander." 

As if on cue, his head lulled to the side as he finally let himself drift off to sleep. Kat grabbed a blanket and a pillow and curled up on the bench next to his bed. She thought it would take her a while to relax enough to fall asleep but with the knowledge that Poe was alright and next to her, she practically fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> BB-8 is found!

Chaos surrounded him. Alarms sounded and Stormtroopers with their various blasters ran past the room he was kept in. He grew confused. This didn't feel right and yet here he was, on the Star Destroyer, in an interrogation room and unable to move. An unauthorized ship had landed. A Resistance ship, more specifically an A-Wing. Who would be flying an A-Wing into a Star Destroyer? Then he remembered.

Ren had called Kat on the special commlink she had given him before he left for Jakku. She promised to come rescue him. He used all the strength he had to struggle against his restraints. He knew she could hold her own but she was incredibly outnumbered. He couldn't let anything happen to her. She started to worm her way into his heart just as much as he tried to get behind the steel walls she kept around herself. She may not know it but it was true. True enough that Ren had even commented on it, trying to crush any hope he had inside of him.

No matter how hard he tried, nothing happened. The restraints didn't unlock and he certainly wasn't getting free anytime soon. But then he felt a prickling sensation. It started in his fingers, crawling up his hands and into his arms. Soon the prickling turned into a burning inferno that encompassed his entire body.

He jolted awake, the sound of his own scream still ringing in his ears. He knew that there were other people in the room but he could only focus on the door as he worked to control his breathing again. Adrenaline raced through his veins and as he finally took in who stood before him, his stomach dropped. Still working on coming back to reality, Poe answered all of Dr. Kalonia's questions as a medic droid checked on his vitals. "Where's Kat? Is she okay?" He finally asked, not being able to shake his dream until he saw her himself.

"I'll send for her," Dr. Kalonia promised. "Go ahead and lie back though. You need your rest."

Poe nodded, slowly laying back against his pillows, reaching for the remote so he could adjust the bed into a more sitting position. He wouldn't be falling back asleep anytime soon.

✧☆✧

Rose's feet stuck out from underneath her sister's ship with Kat next to her, a toolbox in an easy to reach spot so Kat could hand her whatever tool she needed. "I mean really, what did she do to this? Scrape the underside on an asteroid? You sure the patrol went okay?"

Kat laughed. "Yes, I'm sure. I know they did pass through an asteroid belt to get to the planet they were checking out for BB-8 so maybe she didn't pull up enough."

In the middle of her response, a medic called for Kat, interrupting Rose. The colonel turned towards the shouting, trying to remain calm. "What is it?" Kat asked.

"Commander Dameron is asking for you." The medic answered, a little out of breath but otherwise a normal tone.

Rose rolled out from under Paige's ship, wiggling her eyebrows causing Kat to roll her eyes.

She let out a small sigh of relief, glad that it didn't seem to be an urgent request after all. "I'll be right there. I'm just wrapping up helping Rose with her repairs." Kat said to the medic, figuring that he requested her presence to ask when he could be released or even for an update on his droid.

The medic seemed uneasy about leaving which caused Kat to let out an exasperated sigh. "If you have something to say then please do so."

"It seemed pretty urgent. It was after he woke up from a pretty bad nightmare." The medic said.

Her stomach dropped a bit as she looked to a now sitting Rose. Worry began to creep back in. "You going to be okay with the rest of this?" Kat asked.

Her friend rolled her eyes and shooed her away. "Go. I can handle this. I just wanted the company."

Kat gave Rose a quick hug before she jumped up to follow the medic to Poe's room. Once they got there, she knocked on the door frame before entering the room. She had a quip on her tongue but at the sight of the utter relief she saw in his face, the worry that had been creeping up on her showed predominantly now. "What's wrong?" She asked as she came to stand at the side of his bed.

"Are you okay?" He asked instead, reaching out for her hand, brushing his fingers against hers.

She stepped even closer to the bed and moved her hand so their fingers could intertwine. She noticed the small quirk of his lips when she finally put her hand in his. She couldn't even deny how much she enjoyed the simple gesture, at least to herself. She couldn't quite bring herself to admit to how much she missed the feeling of his hand in hers, especially after they had come back from Coruscant.

"I'm fine, Poe. I'm not the one that just escaped from the First Order. How are you holding up?"

He chuckled humorously, shaking his head. "As well as I can, I guess." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She didn't know all that her brother had done but she did know about returning to life post-capture. She tried to remember all the ways that Wes had helped her.

She and Wes were the most unlikely of friends. He came from the home planet of Count Dooku and held more views that were in the middle. Kat was weary from day one but after hearing him in class and especially after he helped rescue her and her recovery, they managed to become the best of friends.

He shook his head. "Not particularly."

While she understood completely, she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. So instead she just gave his hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'm here whenever you're ready."

His thumb began to caress the back of her hand, causing her to look down. There around his wrist sat her hair tie. With her free hand, she slipped a finger underneath the band and gently caressed the indention it left on his skin as well as the marks left over from where he had been cuffed. "You still have it?" She formed it more like a question but it was definitely a statement.

He nodded, watching her ministrations and wanting nothing more than to truly revel in them. She wasn't the only one who had a hard time with vulnerability. He didn't want to scare her off either. "Yeah, I didn't realize I still had it until I was almost at Jakku. I would offer to give it back but it's become lucky and so I don't want to mess with the juju." A small smirk played on his lips as he looked up at her.

Kat laughed, shaking her head, and it was honestly music to his ears. "I think you've forgotten what lucky actually means."

He shook his head. "It reminded me to keep fighting, brought me back to you. Seems pretty lucky to me." If she made a comment about how forward he was being, he would blame the pain medications they had given him.

The feelings she kept pushed down and far, far away were threatening to resurface. She needed to get out of there before she said anything ridiculous. She removed her hand from his wrist, the band sliding back into place. "Well, either way, it's good to have you back, Commander."

She tried to remove her hand but he held on. She had the same look on Coruscant when she told him how scared she was. He had pushed a little too far it seemed but sometimes he didn't know when to quit and she hadn't ripped her hand from his. Matter of fact she watched him, trying to figure out what was going to happen next.

He didn't want to seem needy but from the moment he saw her walk into his room, his heart rate calmed down. To see that she was truly safe, that she hadn't been engulfed in a sea of laser blasts, brought so much relief to him even though he knew that she never set foot onto that cursed ship.

"Will you stay?" He asked softly.

She blinked, not able to answer immediately. She hadn't expected that. There were so many complications if she were to stay. With both of their reputations, people would certainly talk, and would that ruin all she had worked towards getting people to trust her, to see her as a true commanding officer of the Resistance?

Then as she saw how his face slowly fell from that subtle hope that filled his eyes at his request. It stirred something in her. She never wanted to see the hope leave him by her hand. "Yeah, I'll stay. Let me go find an actual chair cause a rolling stool isn't going to be as comfortable." She tried to joke, but even to her it sounded a little too forced.

He smiled and nodded all the same though. He had been afraid that she really was going to run when she didn't answer him those few long moments. When she finally agreed, he couldn't believe it but was thrilled all the same.

Thus started a whole other layer to their relationship. She started making daily visits to the med bay. She gave updates on their search for BB-8 and when he started to be tasked with walking the length of the hall, she would join him then too. Most of the time she even stayed the night.

Poe had offered to share the bed but she refused. Instead, she continued to curl up in the chair. One night he did talk her into at least using the edge of the bed but it sat a little too low to where she couldn't get comfortable. Leia had walked in after they both had fallen asleep after they had figured out a solution to get Kat comfortable. Kat's head rested in his lap and his hand was in her hair as if he had been playing with it before he fell asleep himself. The general smirked at the scene and turned back around, closing the door behind her.

People had indeed started talking but their friends were the only ones who were bold enough to ask questions. Both Kat and Poe never truly answered though, coming up with various vague reasons or changing the subject completely. Yet despite all of this, neither of them realized how much they meant to the other.

"I think you would have come to really like him." Poe finished his story about his escape and the stormtrooper that had helped him. He had hinted at things throughout his time in the medbay but this was the first time he had told her a full story of his time under the First Order.

He looked over at Kat with a small smirk. She sat in her usual chair by his bed. It had been a few days since he had been admitted and he was sure Kat had something to do with his prolonged stay. Dr. Kalonia informed him she was under orders to make sure he healed properly so that somehow translated to a longer stay.

Kat chuckled, shaking her head at the jab he made. "I'm sure I would have too." She knew that she probably would have been a little cold to the man Poe had named Finn just because of her trust issues but she also would have been easier than she would normally be towards a stranger due to him helping Poe escape.

Poe smiled and she squeezed his hand. "The world is cruel, especially during a war. Don't beat yourself up over what-ifs. You did the best you could do in that moment and that's all anyone could ask of you."

"Does that help you?"

"Sometimes." She answered honestly. "Other times the what-ifs take over. I try not to think about my situations often though. There are currently more important things to be focusing on."

He nodded, squeezing her hand this time. "Thank you."

Dr. Kalonia walked in then, looking at her datapad. Kat just smiled at him and sat back in her chair. "Would you like for me to step out, doctor?"

The older woman shook her head. "Oh, no. I've just come in here to let the commander know that he's been given a clean bill of health. This morning's scans all came back clear." She then gave Poe a pointed look. "I want you to still take it easy. You've been doing great walking around here just fine but your normal routine may cause some soreness. Just be mindful."

"Yes, doctor." He smiled before turning it up a notch when he looked to Kat. "Where do you need me, colonel?"

Kat rolled her eyes as she stood. "I need you to calm down and let Dr. Kalonia properly discharge you and then we'll discuss next steps." She moved out into the hall to wait for him. She had already spoken with Leia about how she wanted to proceed and she had been given the go-ahead. Now to just prepare for any backlash she was going to get because if the look of his face said anything before she left, this plan was not going to go over well at all.

"He's all yours, colonel." Dr. Kalonia said, a small, teasing smile on her lips as she walked out of the room.

Poe soon followed after, slinging his arm over her shoulders as they started walking back to the main part of the base. "Clean bill of health. Honest. So send me up with the next team that's out searching for BeeBee."

Kat shook her head. "Actually you'll be easing back into training and helping comb through the whispers of BeeBee's location."

"Are you kidding?" He asked, stopping in his tracks.

She turned to face him, ready for the worst. "No, I'm not."

"Kalonia just gave me a clean bill of health, so why are you keeping me grounded? And I know it was you who kept me in there for longer than I needed."

"You wouldn't have let your body heal properly if I hadn't." She argued.

"So what are you trying to prevent this time?"

"Your death for one. And don't start with that I'm fine banthashit." She cut him off before he could interrupt her. "I know how important BeeBee is to you so I'm making sure you don't do anything reckless like hop in your X-Wing and go provoke the First Order again. They won't let you escape a second time."

"You can't control someone's life just because you want to keep them safe. That's not how this works."

"And you can't be reckless with your own life when you know just how short it actually is."

Pain and the understanding of loss lurked behind the anger shining in both of their eyes. This was the first time they had raised their voices at each other, fought, since their mission to Coruscant. And somehow this one seemed a little more significant.

"I can't just sit still while BeeBee is out there." His voice was soft, hoping she would understand. That she wouldn't pull back.

She straightened out her spine, her eyes becoming ice instead of the stormy sky they just were. It was then that he knew his hopes were crushed. She had thrown her walls back up. "Then do what you want, commander. I clearly can't stop you." With that Kat spun on her heel and stormed off.

Poe let out a sigh before continuing to his quarters. He took his time, trying to figure out where to go from here. Leia had been right. He was playing with fire and this was the first time he felt like he had gotten burned. Her words were meant to sting, he was sure of it. Even if she didn't have time to plan out an attack, Kat was good at still knowing how to make an impact. Finn's death may have been easier to let roll off his back due to not knowing the man long but the death of Muran and his mother certainly still felt fresh some days even though it's been years.

"Why did your colonel just tell me that you'll be flying with the next team that goes out?" Leia asked him, arms crossed over her chest as she waited outside of his quarters.

He groaned, not wanting to get into this now. "She was keeping me grounded, Leia. I can't do that. I should be out looking for BeeBee. Should have been a few days ago."

"With my understanding she still had you searching for your droid."

"By going through radio chatter."

Leia just shrugged. "Seems like to me you'd be better at doing that since you know your droid the best."

"Did she send you here to try and convince me?" He was starting to get annoyed again and really, he would just like to have a few moments of peace in his bed.

The general just laughed and shook her head. "I came on my own accord but it seems like you've already made up your mind."

Poe nodded. "I have a promise to keep and if she can't understand that then maybe Ren was right, we're too different but nice try though, Leia. You almost had me convinced."

Leia rolled her eyes and scoffed. "What does he know? He hasn't been around her for years." When he gave her a confused look, she gave him a pointed one. "Now, commander, I know you're smarter than that."

Then it hit him. Kylo Ren was Leia's son. Leia also raised Kat. The two were practically siblings. "I feel like this takes sibling rivalry to a whole other level. But maybe there's some truth to it no matter how long it's been."

"You'd be a fool to listen to him. You both know loss. The only difference is how you've learned to deal with it. Kat bunkers down behind a wall while she moves through life until it gets to be too much. That's when she'll run away and come back when she's ready to continue. You run whether that's away or headfirst into danger while pretending to give your heart away to anyone who may want it. But I know you keep it just as guarded as she." She patted his cheek and gave him a knowing smile. "Think about what I said and we'll see you tomorrow, commander."

He watched as she walked away, shaking his head. There were too many thoughts and emotions going through his head. For now, he'd just go sleep a bit before he would start his search for BB-8. 

✧☆✧

She was the only one in the mess hall. Well, she was now. She ate with the Tico sisters but had only vented after Paige had left. She liked Paige, considered her a friend, but their relationship was nowhere near her and Rose's. Rose had been Kat's first friend on base. The younger Tico approached her after the announcement and was one of the few who genuinely congratulated her on her promotion. Ever since then Rose always seemed to appear just to chat or to give thorough updates on all she had been working on. It wore Kat's walls down and after Leia's push, she had let Rose in completely. Kat appreciated her more than she knew.

Alas, even after venting to her best friend, Kat remained in the empty mess hall, not wanting to face things yet. C3PO stayed behind to keep her company but it wasn't working in the way the droid probably hoped. Kat looked like she was about to rip the droid's only golden arm off since the droid had adopted a red arm recently as a symbol of an unlikely friendship.

"Threepio, I think you've done all you can in trying to cheer Kat up," Leia said as she sat down next to the young woman.

"I do hope you get to feeling better soon, colonel," C3PO said before leaving the mess hall.

"Thanks. He kept giving me potential outcomes each one getting significantly worse." Kat gave a brief smile to Leia before returning her focus to her meal. She hadn't exactly eaten with the Tico sisters, more like she nibbled and played with her food while they tried to have a conversation with her.

Leia chuckled, shaking her head. "Well, I don't come bearing any better news."

Kat groaned and turned to face the general. "Tell me you didn't go talk to him." She let out a frustrated sigh when she noticed the sheepish look on the other woman's face. "He's gonna think I sent you. He already hates me enough."

"I set him straight, don't worry but he's still planning on flying," Leia said.

"Of course he is." She rolled her eyes and turned back to facing forward.

"You both know loss. You've just learned to deal with it differently. I know you have just as strong of a reckless streak as he does. Maybe tap into that side of you and you'll come up with a way to keep him safe that doesn't involve keeping him on base." Leia then stood, squeezing Kat's shoulder before placing a kiss on top of her head.

Kat sighed and pushed her plate away so she could rest her head on the table. She understood why he wanted to get back out there, of course, she did. She had considered it when she came up with his orders post being discharged. It wasn't like she was gonna keep him grounded. As soon as they found something other than a possible sighting, she was going to let him hop in his X-Wing and take off.

She let out a frustrated groan and pushed herself up, grabbing her plate so she could set it on the conveyor that would drop it off in the kitchen to be cleaned. Maybe she just needed to sleep this day off or she was pretty sure she had some whiskey in her room that would be helpful. It might just be a drink and dance until she passed out kind of night. She didn't want to think about a droid or a reckless pilot anymore.

✧☆✧

He stayed with his team, not even sparing her a glance as they walked by where she was looking. So they were going back to not even acknowledging each other unless absolutely necessary. She could play that game as well.

She was just about to head over to see if there was any news about BeeBee when Kare approached her. "Colonel, can I have a word?"

Kat was a bit skeptical, knowing how loyal Black Squadron was to Poe. "You're not here to yell at me on Dameron's behalf are you?" She tried to keep her tone light, even throwing in a smirk. She liked Kare, a lot, to the point she considered the other woman a friend. So she needed to prepare for any hurt feelings she might have if she was indeed coming to yell at her. Then again she wasn't supposed to have feelings depending on who was talking.

"Actually the opposite. I wanted to thank you for trying to keep him from making a stupid mistake."

To say that she was surprised would be an understatement.

Kare chuckled at Kat's reaction. "Listen, we've always been the team to go in and get things done no matter how dangerous but after Muran we all took a little more notice of the danger. When we heard that Poe had been captured, we were just as worried as you. So the fact that you're trying to keep him, hell, keep all of us safe, well it means a lot. I just thought you should know."

Kat gave her a soft smile and a nod. "Thank you, captain. I appreciate it."

They all had been called out to look up at the sky then. A large red beam shot across it before disappearing. Kat's stomach dropped, assuming the worst. The feeling only intensified when she noticed the look of despair on Leia's face. The First Order had officially done it.

"It was the Hosnian System." Someone informed them.

The Republic, it was officially gone now. All those people, gone in a blink of an eye. Kat's heart broke, wanting nothing more than to go hug Leia. This fight just became so much more. War was no longer imminent, it was upon them.

"Everyone back to their stations. We need to find that droid before the First Order. The galaxy needs to know that they are not alone in this." Leia ordered before walking away to her office.

Kat stayed around to corral everyone back into the base before heading to her post as well. She needed to grapple with this new information but most importantly find BB-8. The Resistance with the help of a man she considered an uncle would bring hope to the galaxy, especially after a First Order demonstration like this.

"Colonel!" Connix hurried over to where Kat was standing just a few moments after she returned. "You're gonna want to take a look at this." She handed over a couple of readouts.

She read the top one first. A droid matching the description they were looking for was with a girl, a man, and Han Solo at Takodana; more specifically at Maz's place. Kat smirked, seeing the name of her adoptive father and where they were. She hoped that he would return since he once again found himself in dealings of the Resistance. The fact that the second readout informed of a First Order attack just confirmed things further and quieted the little voice in her head that told her the informant could have been lying about Han's presence. "Good work, Connix. Inform General Organa and get a transport ready."

"Right away, Colonel." Connix nodded before going to find Leia.

The colonel took a deep breath before going to her comm, opening up a channel so that her voice could be heard throughout the hangar. "Attention all squadron leaders, I need you all at my post now. Again all squadron leaders come to my post immediately."

Soon the squadron leaders were gathered around her. Poe still didn't look too thrilled but if she called them all over then it had to be for a good reason. "This extraction mission just became a rescue. We've located BB-8 on Takodana but the First Order has arrived first. Commander Dameron will," She turned when she heard the briefest of sounds coming from him as if he was about to say something, "So help me, I will make Wexley point so fast you won't be able to even say whatever comment you have lined up so I would stay quiet if I were you, commander."

When he remained quiet and the others snickered quietly, she continued with her briefing. "Commander Dameron will lead point on this mission. They're at Maz's palace, coordinates will already be loaded. A transport will be waiting for your all-clear so that we may provide any medical assistance if there is any need. Now go and may the force be with you."

Before he ran off with the others, Poe placed a quick kiss on Kat's cheek. He flashed her a smirk as he pulled away and then off he ran. "That doesn't change anything!" She called after him even if she was appreciative of the small gesture meant to reassure her that everything was going to be okay.

Leia chuckled as she approached the colonel. "Are you ready?" She asked, not commenting at all on what she had just witnessed.

Kat was grateful for that. The small laugh had said enough. She turned to her adoptive mother and gave her a small smile. "Are you?"

"He was always bound to come back even if I was the one that drove him away." The older woman said as they started walking towards the transport. A med team was loading up under the watch of C3PO. It even seemed that Holdo had given a few members from her army to help with protection.

They made their way into the cockpit when Kat realized that there was no one there yet. She turned to Leia with a questioning look. "We're about to go into a dog fight. I need someone a little more experienced than a typical transport pilot."

The younger woman grinned and jumped into action, going through all pre-flight protocols. Their best transport pilot soon joined her helping her as her copilot. Once everything was set, she sat in her seat and placed her headset over her ears. "This is Navy Leader to base, do we have clearance for take-off?"

"You are all clear," Connix said and soon Kat eased the transport out of the hangar and up into the sky. Once she broke atmosphere and she could see nothing but stars for miles, she pushed the transport to lightspeed with a smile.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance picks up BB-8 and some old and new friends.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thank you all for your patience and continual love for this story. Life hit hard recently so I had to take some time to figure out this new hand it had dealt me. I'm planning on updating weekly now though so every Wednesday there should be a new chapter! Happy reading and I hope you enjoy!

They stayed on the other side of the planet until Poe gave them the all-clear. They didn't want any attention drawn to them since they didn't have anything to protect them with. Waiting, of course, made Kat antsy but the second Poe's voice came through the comms telling them that the First Order left, she brought them in for a landing.

The transport door opened and Leia stepped out much to the shock of Han. Kat soon followed, standing just behind the older woman with C3PO nearby. No one spoke a word, not knowing what to say after so many years being apart. Not to mention Han just saw the only missing member of this family reunion leave with Rey.

BB-8 was the one to put things into motion for as soon as the excited trill sounded C3PO began to speak. Kat wasn't paying too much attention since the orange and white astromech rolled directly to her, chirping about how excited it was to see her and how she would very much like Rey but they needed to save her from Kylo Ren. Kat couldn't help but laugh, scratching at the droid in a similar fashion she had seen Poe often do. "Slow down, BeeBee. It's good to see you too."

His excited beeps soon turned to sorrowful ones as he relayed the message about how Poe had died in a crash on Jakku. Kat just smiled and shook her head causing an inquisitive beep. "Did you not see his X-Wing? He's very much alive and back to being a pain."

The droid beeped ecstatically as it rolled around Kat which made her laugh. Soon a Wookiee calling her name broke her away from the mini celebration she was having with the droid. She looked over to see Chewbacca offering his hands out to help her stand from the crouch she was currently in from talking to BB-8. A small smile tugged at her lips as she took his hands. As soon as she was on her feet, he brought her in for a hug which caused her to laugh. "Yeah, I've missed you too."

Chewbacca let out a soft growl which caused Kat to sigh. "I know, I know. He could have at least said goodbye though. Or even a see ya later, kid."

The Wookiee growled once more and Kat pulled back. "It's not his style, yeah, yeah." She then looked over to Han who was still talking with Leia. "I kinda just want to run over and give him the biggest hug ever even if I'm still a little hurt."

She rolled her eyes at Chewbacca's next remark. "Well, wish me luck." Seeing him smile, she knew that it was the right choice. Maybe he would even stick around longer.

She hurried over, shouting "incoming!" as she jumped into Han's arms, wrapping her arms and legs around him much like she did as a child.

Han stumbled back but neither of them fell over as he held onto her. "Aren't we a little old for this?"

Kat laughed. "Never."

Leia smiled at the pair as Kat let go, setting her feet on the ground again before being distracted by Chewbacca. Kat and Han shared smirks with each other, silently saying that all was forgiven.

"You must be Kat. You don't look scarier than the First Order." Finn said as he stepped forward to the small group.

Han chuckled, patting Finn on the shoulder. "You've never seen her angry, big deal. I'd keep it that way too." He said before calling for Chewie to head back to the Falcon.

"How do you know who I am? And who told you that ridiculous description?" Kat rolled her eyes until she noticed the jacket around his shoulders. That was Poe's. She stepped forward in amazement. "Wait, are you Finn?"

The man before her was taken aback. "Uh, yeah, how'd you know?"

Kat smirked. "You'll find out soon enough." She didn't want to ruin the reunion between him and Poe. "Now, what did he say exactly?" She asked as they walked to the Falcon.

"He just said that he needed to get back to Jakku to get his droid and that you would kill him. I asked who you were and he said that you were his colonel who could be scarier than the First Order."

Kat groaned, rolling her eyes. "I really am gonna kill him." When she noticed the Falcon though, a smile tugged at her lips. "Hey, make sure those two follow us to base, will ya? Although I'm sure Leia didn't give them a choice."

Finn nodded. "I mean I'll try. I really need to figure out a way to help my friend though."

"What happened to your friend?"

"She was taken by the First Order. Kylo Ren had her."

Kat placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "We'll figure something out. Let's just get back to base first."

Her name was then called and she yelled a 'see you soon; into the Falcon before taking off to the transport. Leia met her outside with a small smile on her lips. "He was worried about you hating him."

She didn't even have to hear his name to know who Leia was talking about. Chewbacca had told her the same thing that Han was worried possibly even more so for Kat's reaction. "Oh, we're still going to have some words but Chewie talked me down. He's back and that's what matters the most to me."

Leia squeezed her arm before they went back into the transport. The co-pilot had already gone through the preflight protocols so all Kat had to do was take the ship up. BB-8 rolled up to Kat's seat just as Poe's voice came through asking if they were ready to jump to lightspeed.

Kat stood as the droid beeped excitedly at hearing Poe's voice, helping him into her seat so he could see the black marked X-Wing leading the convoy. "Just one second, there was someone who wanted to see you for themselves."

Poe chuckled as BB-8's beeps came through. "Hey, buddy. I'm glad you're okay too. Ready to get back home?"

An affirmative beep was all it took before Kat gave the order to everyone to go to lightspeed.

✧☆✧

As soon as the transport's door opened, BB-8 whizzed past, headed straight for Poe's X-Wing. Leia took the other's inside to start preparing for what information the droid could provide and to figure out a plan for the Starkiller base. Kat stayed around, giving directions to Chewbacca for the med bay and telling Han that she would still like to talk before things got too chaotic. The colonel was then off to go check on her pilots and to do a headcount.

"We all came back, colonel," Snap said with a smile as she approached.

Kat nodded, grinning. "Great job today." She told the pilots that walked past. There was nothing like a successful mission with no casualties. Now she just needed to start planning for the next one.

She was making her way back to the main hub of the base when she heard her name. She turned to see Poe jogging after her, BB-8 not too far behind and Finn following. "I want you to meet, Finn," Poe said as he draped an arm around her shoulders.

"We've already met." She shrugged his arm off his shoulders not quite ready to be that close to him again. "I did never say thank you for breaking him out. He may be acting like a nerf herder right now but I'm still grateful, especially since you went against the First Order. That takes a lot of bravery."

"Nerf herder?" Finn asked instead of taking the compliment.

Poe rolled his eyes. So maybe they needed to officially make up instead of going on the hope that she would have lightened up around him due to the victory they just had. "We apparently are still fighting from yesterday. Did Finn tell you about his friend?"

Kat chose to ignore Poe's jab and answer his question. "Yes, he did. I was about to head inside now to start figuring out our next plan."

"I might be able to help with that too. I was stationed on the base too. That's where he's taken my friend, I'm sure." Finn offered.

"Well, what are we just standing around here for!" Kat exclaimed before motioning for the men to follow her.

They found Leia at central command, most of the others in command standing around her. When the older woman saw Kat, she dragged her over. "Thank you for finally joining us, colonel." 

That's when Poe decided to pop in. "General Organa, sorry to interrupt. This is Finn. He needs to talk to you..." He was cut off by Leia taking the former stormtrooper's hand.

She then gave a brief look over to Kat as if saying so that's where you've been. "And I need to talk to him." She said, looking back to Finn as she shook his hand. "That was incredibly brave, what you did. Renouncing the First Order, saving this man's life."

Finn looked to Leia in shock. Sure he didn't exactly hide the truth from Kat on Takodana but Poe had mentioned her so he assumed she knew. His assumption had been confirmed when Poe told him how he survived the crash he thought had killed his only other friend. Did everyone know? "Thank you, ma'am, but a friend of mine was taken prisoner."

Leia nodded. "Han told me about the girl. I'm sorry."

Poe noticed that her sympathy seemed to rattle Finn so he spoke up, getting to the bottom of things. "Finn's familiar with the weapon that destroyed the Hosnian system. He worked on the base."

Leia turned to Kat with a raised eyebrow. Kat just raised her hands as if saying don't yell at me. "You continued your meeting without asking me any questions." She said, emphasizing her gesture.

"We're desperate for anything you can tell us," Leia said, turning back to Finn.

"That's where my friend was taken. I've got to get there, fast." Finn said.

"And I will do everything I can to help, but first you must tell us all you know."

Kat looked around and grabbed a datapad so she could write notes as she listened to Finn speak about the First Order base that housed a weapon no one had ever seen before. The fact that it was powerful enough to wipe out an entire planetary system was terrifying.

Poe stood next to her, reading over her shoulder at what she was typing. He noticed that she would put in her own comments or thoughts in between what she heard. She was planning while simultaneously listening to what Finn was saying. "Are we gonna talk?" He asked when Finn repeated something that Kat already had notes on.

"Now is not the time commander." She kept her focus on her notes, going back through her comments to see if anything was coming together.

"Well, obviously not now but I feel like we should at some point because clearly we still have some issues to work out."

He was trying to work his way back behind her walls and her first instinct was to push him away. She didn't want to have this conversation now especially since he seemed to be pushing it even after he agreed that the timing was wrong. "Did you really think a week was going to change everything?"

Silence greeted her even though there was conversation happening around them. She reluctantly looked over to him and noticed the hurt in his eyes before it flipped over to anger. He stood, fully prepared to drag her away when Leia spoke up.

"Are we interrupting something, colonel?"

Kat shook her head and Poe walked off, not seeing the glance filled with regret she threw his way as he walked away. "I was just bouncing an idea off him and he got excited about it." She then said, knowing that Leia could see through the lie.

"Well, what was it?"

"We send Captain Wexley to do some recon on the base for us. We can confirm all that Finn has told us and hopefully even get a scan so that we can better plan for our attack."

Leia nodded. "That's a very good plan indeed. Go inform the captain of this and we'll reconvene once he's made it back."

With that, the group dispersed and Kat hurried away before Leia could come talk to her. She found Snap and Kare enjoying some caf together. She smiled as she joined them at the table. "So, we've found out some information about the weapon the First Order used to take out the Hosnian System. It's located on a base they're calling Starkiller."

"They're a creative bunch aren't they?" Snap said with a laugh. "I'm assuming you're telling me this because you want me to fly recon?"

Kat nodded. "Exactly. We need a scan of the base so that we can better plan our next steps."

"Sounds easy enough. Coordinates loaded in?"

"Always. Now you guys haven't happened to see Poe, have you?"

Kare chuckled. "Think he and BeeBee went to go do maintenance checks on his X-Wing."

Kat stood with a small, grateful smile. She went over and made a cup of caf before making her way to where Black One sat. Sure enough, Poe was sitting in the cockpit while BB-8 was stationed in the droid's spot on the starfighter. She stood at the bottom of the ladder and held up the cup when he looked down at her.

Poe let out a sigh and motioned for her to come up.

She did, climbing up until she could sit on the top rung, handing over the cup. She honestly didn't even know how to start but she knew an apology was necessary. "Poe, I'm sorry. I didn't even mean what I said. I just said it to push you away because it's easier to keep you at arm's length."

It seemed like that's all she needed to do before the words just kept flowing. "I told you that week that you scared me and those hours I spent thinking that you had died just reinforced that for me. Except for Leia, everyone I have ever cared about has left me and it felt like the minute I let you in the universe took you away. When you came back I wanted to do nothing more than to protect you because you did what no one else had before. You came back. Then we fought and it was clear that I couldn't keep a wall around you so I put the pieces you had managed to tear down back up so I wouldn't get any more attached than I already am."

Poe let out a sigh. He couldn't exactly stay too upset with her when the rational part of his mind had told him that she had fallen back into an old habit. "Looks like we both need to work harder on our promise then."

Kat laughed, relieved that he had forgiven her. "Yeah, looks like we do." She then looked up at him, a smile on her face. "Can I make up my nerf herderness by showing you the Falcon?"

Poe grinned at her. "By even suggesting that all has been forgiven." He had heard all about the Millennium Falcon. Even with how close his parents were with Leia and Han, he never had a chance to board the legendary ship.

She climbed down, waiting for Poe with an outstretched hand. He took it with ease before they both hurried over to the freighter. BB-8 following behind them. Just as she lowered the entry ramp, Han's voice was heard.

She quickly dropped Poe's hand and turned to Han, looking as innocent as possible. She felt like a teenager again, getting caught sneaking back into her room.

Han couldn't help the smirk when he noticed Kat's expression. He had been watching the pair standing in front of him with Leia since Kat had made her way to Poe's X-Wing. He had felt like such a dad when he grumbled about how he didn't like the way his daughter was looking at the pilot and vise versa. Leia had laughed at that telling him that he'd then hate to know she had been trying to set the pair up. She had even tried to stop him from interrupting the pair but he was convinced they were going to be up to no good once they made their way to his ship hand in hand.

"Go back to whatever it was you were doing, flyboy. I gotta talk to Kat." He looked over to Poe who was giving him a look of being caught.

Kat let out a sigh and mouthed sorry towards Poe before the commander left father and daughter alone. She then turned her focus back to Han and crossed her arms. "So you come back and you think you can intimidate my friends again?"

"Friends don't look at friends the way he or any of your other so-called friends for that matter, was looking at you, kid." He gave her a pointed look.

She rolled her eyes before motioning towards the Falcon. "Can I go onboard now? I'd like to properly say hello to her."

Han chuckled and motioned for her to head on up the ramp. He easily returned the smile that was tossed his way before she ran up the ramp.

Entering the Falcon felt like coming home. Kat ran her fingers along the interior, letting nostalgia wash over her. She had learned how to fly on the freighter and basic mechanics, even how to shoot. It may have been years but everything looked to be the same as she remembered it.

"She's still a thing of beauty isn't she?" Han asked from where he sat on one of the benches in the lounge.

Kat nodded, coming to sit next to him. "I've missed her, missed you." She admitted, resting her head on his shoulder.

He brought an arm up to wrap around her shoulders. "Leaving without a goodbye was just easier. I had already been in a fight with Leia about it and I couldn't have a similar fight with you too. I just had to hope that you would forgive me."

She let out a sigh and pulled back to look at him. "Chewie talked me into it." She admitted. "I do forgive you, though. I mean I essentially ran away to Naboo so it was just hard that I had to go back to school without knowing when I'd see you again."

"I know, kid. You know I'm real proud of you, right? You've been doing a damn good job bossing people around here or so I've heard."

Kat chuckled. "Thanks, Han. That really means a lot."

"Now about this pilot..." He trailed off and gave her a pointed look.

She stood up, shaking her head. "Nope! I'm not having this conversation with you. There's nothing there. I should probably be getting back anyway." She hurried away at the sound of Han's laughter.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance destroys the Starkiller base while losing a few along the way and an old friend finally decides to wake up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello! I know it's been a long time but these last four months especially have been really hard for me with real life things. I've still been finding space to write so I have a TON of new chapters headed your way. I am currently writing chapters for The Rise of Skywalker and where I plan to take it after that this will probably wind up being my longest single fic yet. ANYWAYS thank you all for your patience and I can't wait to see what you think about this latest chapter. Much love!
> 
> EDIT 10/27: Thus concludes all the updates to the previously posted chapters. Next chapter will be brand new to you but edited to me cause I've been writing away. I'm about to start chapter 30 and I'm not even close to being done. Thank you all for the patience and support for this story!

"You're not going to believe it," Snap said as he approached Kat. He just returned from his recon mission and what he saw was certainly a sight to behold. "They weaponized the planet. It's practically a planet-sized Death Star." He further explained as he handed over the drive with all the information he gathered.

They both shared a look of grave understanding as she took the drive from him. In an act to try and lift their spirits, she flashed him a smile. "Well, then it looks like we're just going to have to figure out how to blow it up."

He chuckled and nodded. "Looks that way."

She patted his arm before backing away to head to central command. "Good work, captain. Now let's go inform everyone else."

✧☆✧

Everyone gathered around the map table as Snap went through all that he learned, pointing out the various things on the holographic image of the planet. Everything Finn had told them had been confirmed and now they had to figure out what to do. No one had ever seen a weapon of this size.

"So how exactly do they power this thing?" Kat asked, looking to Finn.

"They use the power of the sun. As the weapon is charged, the sun is drained until it disappears." He explained.

An officer soon came running in and gave Leia a data card before running back to their post. Leia looked it over, her heart sinking. The First Order figured out where they were located. She could only assume it was when Kylo Ren took information from Poe's memories. "They're charging up the weapon again. Our system is the next target."

"Oh my. Without the Republic Fleet, we're doomed." C3PO said making everyone more fearful than the news already made them.

Kat rolled her eyes. The droid always said the worst possible things when danger was imminent. "There's gotta be a way to blow it up. We send all of our fighter pilots and then those here will prepare for evacuation except for the necessities for a mission. There's not a reason to give up hope yet." She flashed a glare towards the gold droid.

Han and Leia shared a proud look before turning back to the crowd. Everyone remained silent. Fears played into insecurities and Leia could see the trepidation in their eyes as they looked between the small family. She tampered down on her motherly anger in regards to how they still looked at Kat as a wild child instead of the intelligent woman that she was. "She's right." She spoke up, agreeing with Kat's plan. They just needed to add the details and it would become more cohesive.

Admiral Statura let out a small sigh as he looked over the holograph once more. There was no other way and if they didn't stop the First Order now, they would continue to use the weapon. "In order for that amount of power to be contained, that base would need some kind of thermal oscillator."

Finn nodded and then set to zoom in on what he was looking for. "There is one. Precinct 47. Here." He pointed to the hexagonal structure in the middle of the image.

"If we can destroy that oscillator it might destabilize the core and cripple the weapon," Statura said.

"Maybe even the planet," Kat said, grateful that they were all finally starting to come up with a strategy.

Poe stood beside her, trying to keep his excitement down. "We'll go in there and we'll hit that oscillator with everything we've got."

"Not so fast." Admiral Ackbar spoke up. "They have shields that our ships cannot penetrate."

Han rolled his eyes. "Then we disable the shields." He then turned to Finn. "Kid, you worked there, what do you got?"

The former stormtrooper took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he was about to do. This wasn't just him renouncing the First Order anymore. He was now fully in the fight and on the other side, against everything that he's ever known. "I can do it. But I have to be there, on the planet."

"We'll get you there," Han promised, readying himself to get back into the fight.

Leia looked at him with confusion. "Han, how?"

He flashed her a smirk. "If I told you, you wouldn't like it."

Poe could no longer keep his grin at bay. "So, we disable the shields, take out the oscillator and we blow up their big gun. All right, let's go!"

Everyone dispersed then. Before Kat could get away, Leia stopped her. "Where are you at in all this?"

"I'm going to stay here. Lead both efforts. If we are successful then we have more time to evacuate but I want to go ahead and get all non-essentials prepped and ready to go. General Solo will be leading the ground efforts and Commander Dameron will be leading our air team." Kat explained.

Leia nodded, a proud smile on her face. "Well, go on then. Go prepare your teams."

Kat grinned before placing a quick kiss on Leia's cheek. She first visited ground control informing them of how she wanted the evacuation plan to go, electing Connix to take point. Once everyone jumped into action, she went back to the hangar, checking with everyone to see how they were doing before she wound up at the Falcon.

Chewbacca got to her first. They embraced, holding onto each other tight. There was nothing like getting a hug from a Wookiee. "Be safe and look out for each other." She told him. He growled in agreement, letting her go so she could make her rounds.

She didn't have to go far, for Han walked down the ramp next. He saw Leia first but when he noticed Kat was closer he smirked her way. "Smart thinking in there today, kid."

Kat waved him off. "You would have said the same."

"When did you get so grown? The only hell you used to give was to me and Leia."

She laughed and gave a small shrug. "That's what happens when you get old." She teased him.

"I think you meant when you get old." He said with a laugh.

When they quieted down, he motioned towards Leia. Sure he was hopeful about the success of this mission but could he really be so lucky for coming out unscathed for this type of plan again. Unlike the last time he left, he wanted to make sure his girls were taken care of. "Look out for her for me, will ya?"

"What do you think I've been doing while I'm here?"

"Flirting with hotshot pilots." He then motioned to where Poe seemed to be waiting for his turn.

Kat turned to see what Han motioned towards and rolled her eyes before hugging Han. "I'll look after her as always." She promised.

She felt his chuckle more than she heard it before he pressed a kiss to her hair. "And take care of yourself, kid." He said before going to give Leia one last goodbye kiss.

Poe took that as his cue to come over to Kat's side. "Wait until the shields are down. Blow up the oscillator. Get back here and help with the evac. This is our most complicated mission yet and it has the least amount of steps. You losing your touch?"

"Oh, shut up." She nudged his shoulder, a smile on her face. "Just be careful out there okay?"

"Okay." He smiled and pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before heading to his X-Wing.

"I still don't know how I feel about those two," Han said after Kat walked past them. He and Leia had just finished their goodbye. The promise of him bringing Ben back still fresh as he watched his other child check in with the others to make sure they were set.

Leia chuckled. "That's because you never liked the thought of her dating."

"A pilot though?"

"They're a good fit now that they've figured out they work better together than fighting each other every step of the way."

Han chuckled, looking down at Leia with a loving look. "That bit sounds familiar, huh?"

Leia smiled knowingly back at him. "You better get going so both of us don't have too long to worry." She said referencing Kat.

Han let out a small sigh before giving her one last kiss.

✧☆✧

Kat let out a groan of frustration as she watched two more X-Wings show up on her console as red, blinking lights. Two more pilots she just lost. They got the shields down but still with the ground fire and with the much larger First Order fleet, her hope began to dwindle. "We've lost half our fleet and we're still not making progress."

"And their weapon will be charged in ten minutes! It'll take a miracle to save us now." C3PO stated.

"Thank you, Threepio!" She shouted, sarcasm dripping from her words.

"There's gotta be another way." She muttered to herself, fully planning to go look at the hologram again to see if she could figure anything out.

That was until out of the corner of her eye, Kat noticed Leia waver before sitting down. The younger woman raced over, worry written all over her face. "What happened?"

Leia looked up to her daughter and placed a hand on her cheek. "Finish the mission, dear. Your team needs you. You don't worry about me." She said, tears pooling in her eyes.

That's when Chewbacca's report came in. Kylo Ren had killed Han Solo but they had managed to set up enough explosives to blast an opening that could prove to be helpful for their mission. Kat stumbled, tears immediately coming to her eyes. "Blow that base to hell, Black Leader. All other ships back him up and then get the hell out of there." She ordered, biting back her tears.

"With pleasure," Poe replied.

Hearing the affirmative responses, she pushed her mic up on her headset. Kat shook her head, dropping to her knees in front of Leia. "Please tell me it's not true." She didn't want to believe it. Han was going to come back and saunter down the Falcon's ramp with that smirk on his face, cracking some joke when this was all over. She didn't want to believe that she just lost another father.

Leia once more cupped Kat's face. "He loved you, so much and he was so proud. He even made sure that you were listened to. I know I ran him off after you left for Naboo but he truly considered you to be his daughter and would have done anything for you."

Kat began to cry, leaning briefly into her touch before enveloping her into a hug. "How could Ben do this?" The shock of it all started to wear off as anger began to come in. She thought she had been pissed at her brother before but this was something new, something she hadn't felt since her birth parents were killed.

"Snoke has him further in his clutches than I thought." She pressed a kiss to Kat's head. "We can mourn later, but, dear, you have a team to bring back home."

The younger woman pulled back and saw that silent tears had been falling this whole time on her mother's face. Yes, she had known her birth parents for the first decade of her life but it was Han and Leia who raised her and helped form her into the woman she was today. They were truly her mom and dad. Kat gave her a nod and as she stood, she placed a kiss on Leia's cheek. "For dad." Kat's voice cracked on that tiny, tiny word that held so much weight. It was the first time she had ever said the title out loud and it meant Han. Growing up she hadn't wanted to tarnish her birth parents' memory by calling someone else mom or dad, using aunt and uncle instead, until her late teenage years where she dropped aunt and uncle and just called them by their names. She just wished that Han didn't have to die for her to fully accept that it was okay to call them mom and dad. She hoped he somehow knew.

Leia choked back a sob and nodded, squeezing Kat's hand before watching her daughter walk back towards the command center to bring everyone else home. She had always had some kind of inkling that Kat considered her and Han to be her parents but to actually hear her call Han dad out loud broke her heart in new ways than Han's death did. 

✧☆✧

Mother and daughter stood together to greet those who returned from destroying the Starkiller base. Kat truly felt numb as a medic team raced past her to take over care for a critically injured Finn. She barely even registered Poe or waving him off to go be with his friend. She was focused on the ramp of the Falcon, waiting for Han to walk down it and ask who he needed to take care of for making her cry.

Her view was suddenly blocked by brown fur. Chewbacca had stopped to share in an embrace with Leia but she told him she had to greet the newcomer. She promised to properly mourn with him and Kat once things were able to calm down. The second Kat was enveloped in his warmth, all reserve was lost. She broke down, holding on to her Uncle Chewie as if she wouldn't be able to stand on her own if he wasn't holding her up. Sobs wracked her body and if she was of sound mind she would know that the heavier shaking was due to both her and Chewbacca crying together.

When the sobs finally stopped, Kat took some deep breaths to calm down and gather herself again. With one last sniffle, she pulled back and looked up to Chewbacca with a reserved look. "We gotta figure out the best evacuation plan now or it would have all been for nothing. We'll talk soon?"

Chewbacca gave a mournful groan while he nodded his head.

Kat gave him one last hug. "I miss him already, too." She pulled back and pressed a kiss to the side of his head. "Love you, Uncle Chewie." With his answering murmur of reciprocated love, she headed back to the main part of the base, wiping her remaining tears away.

With her head held high, she checked in with her team. She shared condolences with those who had lost friends in the fight. While she was close with a select few, she still made sure she knew the names of all of her team. She also checked in with Connix, seeing where the packing efforts were. She gave the woman praise for getting it all completed while also keeping up with communications during the fight before telling her to start the loading process. Kat made the mental note to ask Leia if she could be given a promotion.

She finally made her way into the med bay. Dr. Kalonia, a few medic droids, and the newcomer were in the room with Finn. Poe stood outside the room, watching through the window. At the sound of someone approaching, he looked over to see Kat. He gave her a small smile and raised an arm to offer some comfort.

If someone had told her a few weeks ago that she would willingly go into Poe Dameron's embrace, she would have called them crazy. That's exactly what she did, though. She stepped right into his side, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her head against his. His arms immediately came around her to hold her. "How're you holding up?" He asked after pressing a kiss to her hair.

"I'll manage. I always do." She brought a hand up to wipe away a pesky tear. "Who's the girl?"

"That's Rey, Finn's friend, and the girl who saved BB-8 on Jakku." He informed her. She tucked away the information so she could ask Chewbacca what he thought of her.

"And how is Finn?"

"Dr. Kalonia said that it wasn't the worst saber wound she had seen but it was still bad. His body went into a coma to help with the healing process. It's now all a matter of when he'll wake up."

It was her turn to press a kiss to Poe's temple before returning to her previous position. "And how are you?"

"I'm doing okay. Waiting for my next orders honestly. I know we truly don't have all that much time to lick our wounds."

She nodded, pulling back. "I already told Connix to start loading up the Raddus."

"You know they're more than likely going to send a dreadnought."

Kat grew stoic and nodded, gears already turning as she started to think of a plan. "I'll let you know as soon as I come up with something." She started walking away when she felt a tug on her hand.

She turned around to see Poe with a smirk. "Won't have to tell me if we figure it out together."

With a roll of her eyes and an exasperated smile, she agreed, pulling him with her as she hurried to find Leia. When Leia saw them, a smirk formed on her lips causing Kat to immediately let go and finish the rest of the way with Poe just behind her. She fully expected some kind of sneaky remark from the woman but instead got, "look who decided to wake up."

Kat looked down to see the blue and white droid who just beeped at her. "Of course I've grown up. You were asleep for a long time and not to mention you haven't seen me since I was at least nineteen." She rolled her eyes as she crouched down to hug R2-D2. "Please tell me you have good news."

"Matter of fact he does," Leia said, helping Kat back up as R2-D2 projected a hologram. It was a large navigational map but there was a chunk of it missing. Before anyone could truly react good, bad, or otherwise, BB-8 let out a string of beeps.

"Yeah, all right, buddy, hold on," Poe said as he went to the main control computer and pulled out the drive that they had gotten from Lor San Tekka.

Crouching down, Poe gave his astromech the drive and soon the orange and white droid projected the missing piece to the map. Both Leia and Kat gasped when they realized just where the map was leading them to. They clasped their hands together, a hopeful smile shared between the two. "Luke." They whispered, trying to contain their joy. They had finally found Luke. Resolve washed over both of them as they started working on their next steps. This was good news indeed; hope had been restored.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ...But the Resistance has been exposed. As the First Order speeds toward the Rebel base, the brave heroes mount a desperate escape....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I know I've been posting a lot of updates already with some older chapters but I HIGHLY suggest you go back and read since I've edited them and have added some things to really flesh everything out even more. I've got so many chapters waiting to be posted so I'm hoping to update with a little more frequency. With this chapter we get into The Last Jedi! I hope you enjoy and I can't wait to hear what you think!

Kat and Leia stood behind the command center on the bridge of the Raddus. Both women along with their fellow commanding officers were helping to lead multiple assignments at once in the hopes of an easy evacuation. Leia had sent Rey and Chewbacca out before they left to go to Ahch-To while Kat and Poe worked on the evacuation and potential defense against the First Order.

The Raddus remained in orbit of D'Qar, waiting for the last remaining people on base to evacuate. The recently promoted Connix led the efforts and they were just waiting for her to clear the planet before they all took off into hyperspace to their next location.

Of course, they also had their remaining naval fleet at the ready with bombers and fighters just in case the First Order showed up. They hoped to take down the dreadnought and then get the hell out of there. Kat and Poe came up with a rather crazy idea but if everything went just so then it'd be one hell of a victory.

They were so close to being able to not have to worry about the First Order until the telltale sign of ships coming out of light speed was heard. For the briefest of moments, Kat's heart sank. It looked like they would have to fight again after all.

All necessary communication channels were open as she watched Poe fly out to meet with the Finalizer and dreadnought by himself. She hoped this worked because this all hindered on what she knew of General Hux from Ben and well, Ben didn't particularly care for the red-headed general.

BB-8 wasn't too thrilled about this plan and the droid let it be known. Poe sighed. "Happy beeps here, buddy, come on. We've pulled crazier stunts than this."

"Just for the record, Commander Dameron, I'm with the droid on this one," Leia said, giving a pointed look towards Kat.

"Thank you for the support, general." Poe quipped.

Kat rolled her eyes. "It's going to work." It had to work.

And it did for what felt like the briefest of moments. TIE fighters were soon flying out of the dreadnought while the Resistance fleet prepared their descent on the large ship. Time froze as they watched the cannon blast from the dreadnought fire onto the base. Connix's voice coming over the intercom informing that they indeed had cleared the base sent relief rushing through everyone on the bridge.

Leia turned to her daughter and shuffled them a bit away from the microphone. "I'm going to call them back. We need to get out of here."

"What? We're so close. If we destroy that thing, we have a better chance at survival. One blast from them and we're all wiped out. I mean look at what it just did to our base." Kat argued.

The general shook her head. "We've lost too many already today. We have a chance to get away. We can fight another day."

Kat let out a sigh. Leia was right. Only six of the twelve pilots had returned from the Starkiller base and she had never been in the business of putting lives unnecessarily in danger. She then nodded her agreement and Leia commanded that Poe return.

"No, general, we can do this." Poe implored even if he was currently waiting on his weapons system to come back online. "Colonel, are you really wanting this?" Kat had been so on board when they planned it. Surely she didn't agree with this.

"General's orders, commander. It doesn't matter what I think. Besides, we've lost too many already. Turn back now and we can get out of here." Kat said.

"We're going to lose more if we don't follow through. This thing is a fleet killer." Poe argued, hoping Kat would press Leia to let them continue.

Leia grew impatient. Now was not the time to question her orders. "Disengage now, commander. That's an order."

The resounding click of Poe turning off his comm made Kat's heart drop to her stomach. "He did not just..." She trailed off, anger starting to boil inside her. "Is a private line still open for Commander Dameron?" She asked.

"There's the line that he has with the other pilots." A ground control officer answered.

She walked over to them, a fake smile on her face. "Great. Can you patch me through but just to him?"

"No, it would interfere with their communication. I'm sorry, sir."

Kat ran her hand through her hair in frustration, doing her best not to yell. "Thank you, officer." Her voice was strained as she tried to keep her emotions at bay. She went back to Leia's side as they watched their entire bombing fleet get destroyed. "Dammit, Poe." She muttered under her breath.

"I'm going to be demoting him," Leia said.

The colonel nodded. "You won't hear any complaints out of me." She then let out a heavy sigh. "Now, if you'll excuse me. I need to go find Rose."

She didn't have to look far, for the small mechanic stood in the entryway to the bridge. A hopeful yet sorrowful look on her face as she searched for the person she knew that would not only give her the answer she needed but the comfort she sought after as well. Kat took a deep breath, eyes stinging with unshed tears. She really couldn't believe she hadn't cried them all out yet.

Kat draped an arm around Rose's shoulders as she steered them down the corridor and away from the bridge. Once away from most of the hustle and bustle, Kat wrapped the other woman in an embrace. Rose brought her arms up to encircle her friend's waist. "It's true then, isn't it?"

"It is. She was on the last bomber that destroyed the dreadnought."

Rose let out a shaky breath as she nodded. "She died a hero then."

"Yeah, yeah, she did." Kat let out a sigh. "I'm so sorry, Rose. We tried to get them to turn back."

She squeezed her friend. "It's something we knew was a possibility when we signed up. You did the best you could. It just means we've got to keep going or it'll all be for nothing." She slowly pulled back and wiped her tears away. "I'm gonna go make sure everything is still in working order."

Kat nodded. "I'll come to check on you later. Until then you know where to find me if you need anything."

Rose gave a small smile and nodded before heading to the underbelly of the ship where all the escape pods were. Kat watched as her friend made her way down the corridor, her heart heavy. She had so many people that she'd have to reach out to in order to pass along her condolences. She was about to head back to the bridge when it was announced that the fleet was now docking.

Steeling herself, she turned on her heel and marched down the corridor, fully planning on ripping into Poe. She was just about to reach the docking bay when she saw Finn, still in the bacta suit walking towards her. She hurried across the few remaining feet separating them. "Hey, Finn. You wanna head back to the med bay?"

Before he could answer Poe was at Finn's side practically asking the same things. Finn just looked between the two before asking. "Where's Rey?"

"I'll let you fill him in," Kat said, giving a pointed look to Poe.

Poe gave her a pleading look. "Kat, please, can we not talk about this?"

"I don't want to talk to you right now." Her voice dripped with ice and barely contained anger. When she looked to Finn, some of her warmth returned. "We found Skywalker. Rey went with Chewbacca to try and bring him back. Dameron can fill you in on the details. I've got to get back to the bridge." She ignored Poe calling her name as she walked away. Sure she had just wanted to read him the riot act but she was not about to do it in front of Finn when he needed assistance immediately.

Finn looked to Poe with a raised eyebrow. "What did you do to her?"

Poe let out a sigh as he ushered them to the med bay. "I don't even know why she's that upset. Our plan worked and those that died all died heroes."

"I think it's best I stay out of this one." He chuckled. "Did you guys really find Luke Skywalker?"

Poe nodded. "Sure, did. I'll tell you everything once we get you situated." He promised.

After Finn was squared away, he and Poe headed to the bridge. Poe hoped to find Kat so they could talk and Finn was looking for Leia to get more details on Rey. Instead, Poe was met with a slap from Leia. Finn stepped over to talk with Kat figuring that would be the best option until Leia was free.

"You're demoted," Leia informed Poe, not allowing any time for him to recover from the shock of being slapped.

He looked for Kat but only received a look of indifference and a shrug before she went back to speaking with Finn. Seeing that Leia had already moved on, he let out a sigh before hurrying to catch up with her. "Wait, we took down a dreadnought." He really couldn't believe he was being demoted for this.

"At what cost?" Leia asked.

"If you start an attack, you follow through." He said making sure he was loud enough so that Kat could hear him as well.

It clearly got some sort of reaction for Leia was smirking at him. He was just about to ask her why when he felt the sting of someone smacking him in the back of the head. A livid Kat now stood in front of him, arms crossed over her chest. "Do you have something to say to me, _captain_?" She leaned into his new title, giving him a pointed look.

"There were heroes on that mission," Poe said.

"Dead heroes," Kat replied.

"And no leaders. You've got to get your head out of your cockpit. There are things you cannot solve by jumping into an X-Wing and blowing something up. I need you to learn that." Leia gave him a pointed glare that made it clear that this is the woman Kat learned hers from. "Now, if you two are going to hash things out, please take it somewhere other than here." With that she let the two be and Finn took the opportunity to speak with her.

Once Leia was gone, Poe opened his mouth to try and convince her to talk to him but she cut him off. "I have nothing to say to you. You should know why I'm so upset and this time, I don't know if you can talk your way out of it."

She moved to go back to her station when the proximity alert sounded. Kat hurried over to where Leia and Finn were standing. It couldn't be. The First Order had found them. Even through hyperspace. She and Leia shared a knowing look. They had a lightspeed tracking device, it was no use. They had to fight.

"Permission to hop in an X-Wing and blow something up?" Poe asked, looking at Kat.

"Permission granted." She nodded as Leia was giving orders to the admiral driving.

Kat then jumped into action, calling out orders over the intercom in the docking bay. That's when she saw the First Order fighter flying around to the side. It was Ben's ship. She froze, completely overtaken by the emotions she had been keeping locked away. Her brother was here but any familial attachments were severed. She couldn't process much more for she stumbled from the blast inside the docking bay, breaking her out of her thoughts. Her heart stopped at the realization as reports were being shouted.

"Go." Leia nudged her forward, giving her a knowing look.

She didn't have to be told twice as she took off running down the corridor. She knew she had others she needed to check on but there was only one pilot she needed to know their location before all the others. Debris littered the corridor. The pristine white now darkened with soot. She noticed his boots first and then followed the orange of his jumpsuit up to his face. He was awake and talking with Finn.

Next to the two men was the familiar orange and white astromech. To not interrupt and to still keep things close to her chest, she crouched down next to BB-8. She still kept an eye on Poe, however, to make sure he was okay even if she acted like she was looking over the astromech. The droid gave a few greeting sounds that pulled her attention away from Poe. "You doing okay, Bee? Do we need to have Rose take a look?" She finally said, now that she was truly focused on the droid in front of her.

BB-8 let out a negative beep. Kat gave their head a few small pats after she gave them a true once over. Poe watched the interaction, a small smirk on his lips. He appreciated that Kat checked in on his droid but he couldn't help but tease her. "I'm doing okay too, colonel. Thanks for asking."

Kat rolled her eyes but before she could reply, BB-8 sassed him back causing everyone to laugh. She even patted the droid's head once more.

"Okay, okay. I'm glad she cares about you too." He addressed his droid before turning to Kat and Finn. "Now help me up so we can get to the ship's defenses."

Finn and Kat did just that and soon all three were running down the corridor, BB-8 on their heels. As they passed by a pane of transparisteel, the ship shook once more as it took a critical hit from the First Order. Watching as the bridge opened up and everyone inside sucked out into space, Kat became unaware of her surroundings and zero focused on getting to Leia.

A jarring shriek filled the corridor before Kat ran to where the bridge once was. At the sound, Poe whipped his head to the side, looking at the woman in shock. She just called Leia mom. As far as he knew, she never called Leia that. He was just about to run after her when he noticed movement. Leia was using the force to come back in.

Poe called for a medical team as he finally started making his way to the bridge, Finn, and Connix, who had stopped to ask Kat a question just as she screamed, behind him. Once they arrived Kat had already opened the door and had Leia in her arms. He hurried over to her side to help get Leia on the gurney the med team provided. As the med team began to move, Kat started to numbly follow behind. She didn't get too far because the medic droid closest to her informed her that she needed to remain behind until they could get her in a stable condition.

Kat nearly lunged towards the droid but Poe reacted quickly. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight against him despite her struggling to get out of his grasp. "She's not going to get the help she needs if you go attacking the droids that are helping her." He told her, hoping that she would calm down.

As the words registered, Kat slumped against him, taking in, for the first time since she saw Leia get sucked into space, her surroundings. She saw the nervous glances that Finn and Connix were giving her. There also seemed to be pity mixed in and she could barely take it. She didn't need anyone's pity. She looked back down to the floor, taking a few deep breaths before she patted Poe's arm. "You can let me go now, Dameron." Her voice barely above a whisper. She honestly didn't know if she could speak louder without her voice cracking. She needed to get it together.

He did what she asked, slowly unwrapping his arms just to make sure she wouldn't do anything rash. Once she was free, she took a few steps away from the group so she could look at them all. Poe's face didn't hold pity, it held worry and she honestly didn't know which was worse. She cleared her throat and straightened out her uniform. "Go see if anyone else could use your assistance. I'd assume the docking bay is an area that needs it the most. Now if you'll excuse me, I have commanding officers to find."

"Well, you heard the woman," Connix said as she made her way back down the corridor.

Finn picked up the cloaked tracker that would lead Rey back to the Resistance and looked to Poe. Rey couldn't come back to this. He needed to get off this ship and somewhere safe. "You okay?" He asked his friend.

Poe slowly nodded. "Yeah, yeah I think so."

"Is she going to be okay?"

He let out a sigh and shrugged. "I honestly can't tell you. I need to go see who else of the fleet is still around, you going to be okay?"

Finn nodded. "Yeah, yeah don't worry about me. I'll go find somewhere to help out."

Poe clasped the other man's shoulder and flashed him a smile before heading down the corridor.

✧✩✧

"We're really the only ones left?" Kat asked as she looked to Commander D'Acy and Vice Admiral Holdo.

"I'm afraid so, colonel. What do you want us to do?" D'Acy asked.

"Me? No, I'm not ready. I nearly attacked a medic droid because I got too emotional." Kat shook her head. There was no way she was going to accept the interim general position.

"The chain of command clearly states that you're next," Holdo said.

"And I'm declining which means Vice Admiral Holdo, you are in charge of the Resistance until General Organa wakes up," Kat said with as much authority as she could muster.

Holdo placed a hand on the young woman's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Are you sure this is what you want? No one would blame you for getting emotional over what happened to Leia."

Kat nodded. "I'm sure. I want to be by Leia's side for as long as I can. She can yell at me later for not keeping my post. I, of course, will do whatever I'm needed for."

Holdo nodded before giving Kat a small hug. "Then it's settled. Commander D'Acy call a meeting for those remaining."

The three women stood at the head of the assembly. The crew aboard the Raddus sat in a circle around the remaining commanding officers of the Resistance. Once everyone was settled, anxious for a report on Leia's status, D'Acy stepped into the middle of the circle with a heavy heart. "General Organa, Leia, is unconscious but recovering. This is the only good news I have. Admiral Ackbar, the rest of our leadership, they're gone."

Kat then stepped forward, the wall she typically kept up seemed to be shaky at best as she addressed the Resistance. "Leia was the sole survivor on the bridge. If she were here, she'd say save your sorrow for after the fight. Which is why Vice Admiral Holdo of the cruiser Ninka will be taking her place instead of me."

Everyone was shocked but most could tell that Kat wasn't handling this well. Poe tried to catch her eye but she avoided his section of the assembly with everything she had. "This does not mean I'm stepping down from my position. I will still be giving orders to what is left of my team. I just need to be with my mo-, with Leia right now." She then turned to Holdo and motioned for the vice admiral to take the floor.

Once Holdo began talking, Kat slipped out of the room. She let out a heavy sigh as she sat by Leia's bedside. Reaching out, she took a hold of her mom's hand, relieved that warmth had returned. When she had pulled her back in, Leia had been so, so cold. She never wanted to feel Leia that cold again. It frightened her the most. Would she wake up from being that cold that it looked like ice covered her skin?

"Why are you not the one talking about sparks that ignite fires?" Poe asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

"Please, just go." The response she received was the sound of the door closing but she knew it didn't mean that he actually listened to her request.

A chair was pulled up next to her instead. "You really trust her to keep this up and running?"

She turned to Poe in indignation. "Why, Poe? Leia trusts her so that's good enough for me. It should be good enough for you too."

"She's not giving me any information. All I can tell right now is that she's just going to run our fuel low."

"You're a captain now. You don't get to know the big decisions anymore. If you're trying to get back your commander title I wouldn't give it back to you either."

He rolled his eyes. "I don't care what title I have. I want to know what's going on and what I can do. There's got to be a better option than just running. You've got to have some other plan circling around in that head of yours."

"The only plan that I have right now involves me in a ship going to rip Kylo Ren apart. So, no, there is no other plan because the smart thing to do is stay here, wait for my orders, and help where I'm needed."

"I don't know where Katerina Metonae went but we're going to need her back," Poe said, standing up before things took a turn for the worst. He would figure out things on his own.

She grabbed one of the extra pillows and threw it at his back. "I almost attacked a medic droid today, Poe! I barely kept it together announcing Holdo's promotion. The only plan I can remotely focus on is the most reckless thing I've thought of in a long time. The one person in my whole life who has never once abandoned me was nearly taken away from me after I just lost my dad. I don't know when she'll wake up and kick my ass into gear again and that honestly scares me just as much as the thought of losing her. So I'm so sorry that I can't keep it together enough to give you orders that you're going to blatantly ignore anyway."

"Oh, so now you want to have that conversation." He said as he turned back around to face her.

"No! I want you to leave." She huffed out.

"I'm not going anywhere until you get all your anger out." He crossed his arms. "Then maybe you'll think more clearly."

Kat groaned and covered her face with her hands. "If I go talk to kriffing Holdo will you leave me be? I don't have time for whatever weird comforting thing you think this is."

He walked over and crouched in front of her. He slowly pulled her hands away, keeping her wrists in his hands. "I would like it very much if you talked with Holdo. I just needed to make sure that the next time I saw you, you weren't going to be shut down. I can take being yelled at by you. Been doing that since the day we met. I also know that had you been crying when I walked in that I would have approached everything differently but you were pissed instead so I poked the bear. So, you feel better?"

She just stared at him for a few moments before she shook her head in disbelief, trying to school her features back to her typical stoic ones. "You are absolutely ridiculous."

He smirked up at her, giving her wrists a small squeeze before standing up. "Well, what are you waiting for? No time like the present. I'll stay with Leia."

Sighing, she stood up, flashing him a grateful smile before making her way to command.

As promised, Poe stayed behind as she went to the bridge. He sat in the chair previously vacated by Kat and took Leia's hand. "We all need you to come back but especially her. She even called you mom when she saw you get pulled out. I've never heard her call you mom, ever so if that's not reason enough. But apparently, she's waiting for you to give her the all-clear, I guess. She let Holdo take over command instead of her. I know, I know, trust your leaders." He rolled his eyes, hearing Leia's voice clearly in his head from the many times he came to complain about Kat.

"I hope she'll at least talk to Kat because hopefully there's actually something happening. If Kat was running things, there'd be movement already, I just know it. Or at least trying to figure out where we could land for a temporary base." He then let out a sigh. "She's not ready to listen to me yet. I mean she rarely does anyway but I know she's still mad about what happened. Matter of fact, I'm a little mad at myself too. I was their commander and I led them all to death. It's like watching Muran fifty times over. I guess I still have some learning to do."

He squeezed her hand. "I could also really use some Leia advice. I really care about your daughter but the last time I tried to have romance during a war, it ended badly for me. I want to know how you and Han did it. Hell, how you think my parents' managed. So if you could wake up soon, that'd be really appreciated." 


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat takes a step back to figure out the balance between dealing with the losses and continuing forward.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter has a couple of my favorite scenes I've written. I would love to hear what yours is and see if they're similar!

When Kat walked through the doors to the bridge, Connix looked over and smiled at her. Wanting to apologize, she made her way over and leaned against her station. “I wanted to apologize for what you witnessed earlier, lieutenant. I hope that I can earn whatever trust I may have lost with my outburst back.”

Connix shook her head. “I never lost any trust with you, colonel. Anyone in your position would have done the same. I’m just glad to see you looking a little better.”

Kat smiled and chuckled. “Must have looked awful earlier then. Either way, I appreciate it.” She pushed away from the station so she could stand behind the lieutenant. “Now, what are we working with?”

“Colonel Metonae, may I have a word?” Holdo asked before Connix could respond.

The colonel made her way over, unsure of what Holdo wanted to speak with her about, especially since it felt like she was being called into the headmaster’s office. “I know what you’re doing,” Holdo said once Kat was at her side.

Confusion was written all over Kat’s face. “My job? I know we’re running low on fuel but I was asking for an update so that I can better assist in things.”

“You and Captain Dameron are close, yes?” Holdo asked instead of giving an update like Kat had hoped for.

“I don’t see how that has anything to do with this. He was one of my best commanders and when he learns to think things through he can certainly be that way again. I’m assuming we’re keeping out of range of the Star Destroyer cannons or the TIE’s wouldn’t have retreated. If I can just know what your plan is I can make sure my team is ready.”

“It matters a great deal, actually. You see after the meeting ended, he tried to get some information. Since he’s been demoted, he is now on a need to know basis. I need to trust that my colonel isn’t going to go against orders. I know Leia let you run about how you saw fit but right now we need to stay strict so that we don’t have another dreadnought incident.”

Kat scoffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “And I need to trust that the commanding officer I let lead in her place isn’t going to ruin what she’s worked so hard for.”

“That’s funny coming from the commanding officer who ran instead of taking charge.”

A self-deprecating smile grew across Kat’s features as realization hit. “Then I’m sure you were thrilled when I did so. It fed into your belief that I’m not meant for the position Leia put me in.” She then let out a harsh, humorless laugh. “And here I believed your words of comfort. Thought that because you were close with Leia that you trusted me.” She then took a step closer, her shoulders square, her expression cold. Despite being on the taller side for being a woman, Holdo still stood above Kat but that didn’t make the young colonel back down. “Now tell me how are we going to lose the First Order fleet?”

“We will not be doing anything because I currently don’t need the few remaining pilots to do anything. So back to the med bay. I’d appreciate all updates when they’re available.”

Kat knew when she was being dismissed. She curled her hands into fists, holding back her outrage. If she had an outburst, she would only be proving Holdo and those who thought like her right. Here she thought she had proved herself from all the rumors that followed her from Naboo.

She was greeted by not just Poe when she got back to Leia’s room but Finn, Rose, and C3PO as well. They swiftly turned to face whoever was entering but Kat noticed all three of them relax when they noticed that it was just her. “Well, I’m not getting anything out of Holdo. Said I shouldn’t have run which is a whole lot of banthashit. So what are you three up to?”

“Ah, Colonel Metonae, finally another voice of reason these three just might listen to,” C3PO said from where the droid was standing by Leia’s bed.

Kat looked over to the gold droid with an eyebrow raised. Oh, now she was intrigued. “Okay, what’s going on? And where did you two meet up?” She motioned between Rose and Finn.

“That doesn’t matter.” Rose quickly dismissed. “Kat, we figured a way to disable the tracker the First Order has on us.”

The colonel’s face lit up at the prospect of having some sort of action to do instead of waiting around. Poe smirked, knowing that look all too well. She was about to ask for the details so she could help create a plan. “You sure she’s gonna be the other voice of reason?” He asked C3PO.

“Tell me everything,” Kat said before the droid could respond.

“Oh dear.” C3PO murmured as Rose and Finn launched into what they had figured out.

“It’s a sound plan,” Kat smirked. “We just need to make sure that you two get off the ship before they detect that the tracker is down.”

“I helped steal a TIE Fighter before. And I’ll know how to get us to one within that time frame.” Finn said.

Kat smiled, clasping his shoulder before turning to Rose. “You sure you’re up for this?”

Rose nodded. “I know I’ve only ever been on base but I can do this. I have to, for my sister.”

“Then if I must be the sole voice of reason,” the droid started, “Admiral Holdo will never agree to this plan.”

“You’re right, Threepio,” Poe said, his look of sorrow at being the cause of Paige no longer being here turning into one of determination. “It’s a need to know plan, and she doesn’t.” He smirked towards Kat while the gold droid tried to argue about the meaning of his warning.

Coming up beside Kat who was already working through the blueprints of Snoke’s Destroyer, Poe placed a hand on her shoulder. “You guys shut down that tracker, we’ll be here to jump us to light speed. The question is, how do we sneak the two of you onto Snoke’s Destroyer?”

Kat looked up at Finn and Poe at that question. She hadn’t thought that far ahead yet. Truly she was still on how they were going to get the pair off the Raddus without them being detected.

“We steal clearance codes,” Rose suggested as if that was the obvious answer.

Finn disagreed. “They’re Bio-Hexaencripted and rescrambled every hour. We can't get through their security shields undetected. Nobody can.”

As if at the same time both Kat and Poe looked to each other as they stood from their hunched over stance. Poe then pointed to Finn as if to silently say actually. Kat hurried over to the holoscreen and called up Maz, who seemed in the middle of a battle herself.

“Could I do it?” She scoffed. “Of course I could do it. But I can’t do it. I’m a little tied up right now.” She then turned and fired off her blaster.

“Maz, what is happening?” Finn asked.

“Union dispute. You do not want to hear about it.” Then there was a laser blast far too close to Maz’s face for Kat’s liking. “But lucky for you, there’s exactly one guy I trust who can crack that kind of security!”

“Well, great, Maz, who is he?” Kat asked.

“He’s a master codebreaker,” she started to answer after having run from an attack and now fiddling with her blaster, “an ace pilot, a poet with a blaster.”

“Sounds like he can do everything,” Kat smirked which Maz easily returned.

“You’ll find him with a red plom bloom on his lapel, rolling at a high stakes table in the casino on Canto Bight.”

Poe sighed. “Canto Bight? No, no. That’s…” That’s too far and out of the way. “Maz, is there any way that we can take care of this ourselves?”

“Sorry, kiddo. This is rarefied cracking.” Maz apologized. “You wanna get on that Destroyer, I only know one option. Find the master codebreaker.” She ended the call just as she took to the skies with her jet pack.

Both Kat and Poe let out a sigh. This was not good. There was no way they could get to Canto Bight and then onto Snoke’s Destroyer within enough time that there would be enough fuel in the Raddus to even get to light speed. Kat wished she knew of someone else she could give a call but Maz was truly the best hacker she knew.

Finn held up the remote tracker that connected them to Rey. Both Resistance leaders looked to the man and accepted that this was going to have to be the way. It was a lot better than sitting around after all. Poe took the tracker and Kat let out another sigh. “Alright you two, go pack whatever you might need.” She ordered before turning to Poe. “Help them get into an escape pod and then inform those you trust. We might have to start a mutiny to give them enough time.”

“And what exactly are you going to do?” Poe asked her.

“I’m going to see if I can talk with Connix.” Kat smiled before she made her way back towards the bridge.

Just as the door closed behind her, she heard Rose’s voice. “You heard the colonel, let’s go!” The mechanic’s order made Kat smirk but also made her send up a prayer to the Maker that everything would work out.

✧☆✧

Slowing to a stop in the middle of the doorway, she stared down Connix, willing the newly promoted lieutenant to look her way. When the blonde did, Kat motioned for her to join her out in the hallway before she continued on her way.

Connix excused herself and met with Kat who was leaning against the wall out of the way of everything else. “What is it, Colonel?” The young woman asked.

“I have an idea but this cannot get back to Admiral Holdo. Can I trust you?” Kat said.

Nodding, Connix stood at the ready. “After what she said to you and seeing how you not only planned the attack on the First Order base and our own evacuation, I’d do anything you’d ask. You’ve shown nothing but want towards the best of the Resistance.”

Kat gave the woman a soft smile before launching into how they were planning on stopping the tracker. “What I need from you right now is to make sure that Holdo suspects nothing, especially after the pod leaves.”

Connix agreed and soon the two women went their separate ways once more. Kat headed towards the pods and when she got there, Poe, Finn, and Rose were already waiting. “Find the codebreaker, sneak onto the Destroyer, disable the tracker, steal a TIE fighter, follow you guys to safety.” Rose listed once Kat joined them.

Finn looked between the three a bit confused which caused Rose to roll her eyes slightly. “We’re on a mission from Kat. She always makes sure those who are going out in the field know each step so that they remain as safe as they can.” The mechanic explained.

The colonel smirked as Poe nodded with a small shrug as Finn looked for confirmation. “Connix is on board. She’ll help cover your departure.” She then held out a comm device for Rose who smiled.

“Poe already gave us one and he’s letting BB-8 come with us.”

Kat looked to him with a raised eyebrow. He just shrugged. “Learned from the best.”

A small smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she looked back to Finn and Rose. “May the force be with you both.” And with that, the pair climbed into the pod and flew off.

✧☆✧

“Do you want tea or anything?” Poe asked as they walked back to Leia’s room.

“Just because we put another plan together, doesn’t mean I’m no longer mad at you.” She gave him a pointed look.

Groaning, he looked up to the ceiling. “When we planned that, you were all for it. Now you’re mad at me because I followed through with the plan you helped create?”

“Just because I helped create it, doesn’t mean I can’t change my mind, Poe.” She let out an exasperated sigh before continuing. “Especially when in real time it didn’t work out how we had hoped. Sure we took out a dreadnought but look how many lives we lost because of it. If you want to truly be a leader in this, you have to know when to pull back instead of charging ahead. We can’t stop the First Order if we don’t have any people to fight.”

Poe couldn’t exactly argue against that. The fact that she had pulled back should have been a clear indicator for him that he should have listened. Instead, because things were going so well at first, he got too cocky and kept his head in his cockpit-like Leia said. “I should’ve trusted you.” Is all he wound up saying.

“You’re damn right, you should have.” Kat agreed. “I thought you would have known my tactics better by now. Go see who you can round up for our side. I think I’d rather just be alone right now.” She said as they got to Leia’s door.

He went to reach out for her but stopped himself. He wanted to offer up comfort but how could he when it was clear she was so disappointed in him. He bit his lower lip as he hesitated, slowly nodding in agreeance to what she requested before going to find the remainder of the pilots.

✧☆✧

As soon as the door closed, Kat sank to the floor and completely lost it. The weight of everything became overwhelming and too much to bear. She mourned the loss of Han and the pilots she had under her watch. She cried in fear of the unknown with Leia’s condition. Her body shook as angry sobs towards her brother for doing all of this wracked her body.

She wanted Leia to wake up, pull her into a hug, and tell her everything was going to be okay. She honestly didn’t think she had cried this hard since the death of her birth parents. It was all-consuming, to the point where she didn’t realize that C3PO came over to her. The gold droid placed a hand on her head, stroking her hair as best he could. Threepio had seen Leia do this motion often towards the young colonel so the droid thought it would help. It seemingly made her cry harder and yet she felt just as comforted as if she had been wrapped in a hug.

A watery laugh escaped her lips as she thought about the absurd picture they probably made. “Thank you.” She sniffled, looking up at the droid she had known since childhood.

“You are most welcome, Katerina,” C3PO replied. “May I ask why Commander, I’m sorry, Captain Dameron isn’t here with you?”

Kat laughed once more as she wiped her tears away. “Because I wouldn’t let him.”

“Oh,” the droid commented softly before speaking up again. “If I may make an observation…”

“You’re already going to tell me regardless,” Kat muttered.

“Captain Dameron seems to really care for you. While you had gone to speak with Holdo, I heard him tell Leia how she needed to come back mostly for you.” The golden droid continued speaking despite Kat’s whispers.

Looking over to where Leia laid, Kat let out a sigh. “You sound like her. She’s so sure that something’s there.”

“Do you not care for Captain Dameron?” C3PO asked.

Kat bit her lip and nodded. “I do.” She let out, barely a whisper.

“Then what seems to be the problem?”

Kat looked up at the droid she had known since childhood. “Everyone leaves in the end.”

✧☆✧

She's not entirely sure how much time had passed when she looked up to find that Poe had entered Leia's room. She had gotten up from the floor earlier and had settled in a chair next to her mom's bed. "Have you heard from Finn and Rose?" She asked.

He shook his head. "No. I came to give you an update on our status, though."

When she motioned for him to continue, he let out a sigh as he moved closer. "It's not good, Kat. Our medical freighter just went down and we're six hours away from losing all our own fuel supply."

Kat's face fell at the news. That was not good. They would need to act soon. "Who did you get on our side?"

"All of the Black Squadron of course."

"That's it?"

Poe rolled his eyes. "I didn't want to make this too big yet. If we need to make a move, then surely others will follow. You've got your top squadron behind you and you're an excellent strategist, they'll listen whether we talk to them beforehand or not."

"Oh, so now I'm the leader of this thing?" She asked, eyebrows raised.

"It's where you should have been since Leia went down."

Kat scoffed, turning away from him. She stood by her choice. She was far too emotional to think properly. She would have fought to figure out a way to attack the First Order fleet without the current knowledge that she now had. She wouldn’t have been smart about things.

"You have led with your emotions since day one. I may not have realized it until recently but you know I'm right. Today's been a shit day and no one can fault you for letting your walls slip. The second you found out that there was another way to save the Resistance, you jumped into action and helped put a plan together. So stop being so hard on yourself for nearly attacking a medic droid. I have done way worse."

There was a short silence that fell over the two. Kat remained looking at Leia, watching the monitor that was over her face. Poe was close now, she could feel him by her side. She really wanted nothing more than to turn and bury her face in his chest. She remained still though, unknowing to how much he wanted to just pull her into his arms so he could tell her that things were going to be okay and that they’d figure a way out of this.

“Do you think she’d be mad?” She finally spoke up, voice soft and a little shaky.

“About which part?” He chuckled causing Kat to look up at him with a small glare. “For the potential mutiny, yeah. She’s always been about trusting your leader. For you not stepping into her place just yet? No. She’d be understanding about that but definitely push you to see that you’ve been ready.”

Her glare turned softer as she took in his words. “Do you really believe that? That I could lead this whole group?”

“I do. Especially now that I’ve figured out you’re not what the rumors say you are.”

Her lips twitched up into a small smile. “Yeah, I’m still wondering if that was a good decision or not.” She teased him.

Poe laughed, shaking his head. “I’m glad you did. I’ve actually enjoyed becoming more of a team.”

She brought her hand up to place it on his forehead, probing a little bit to check to see if he had a knot from hitting his head. “I’m sorry, did you hit your head harder than I thought?”

Chuckling, he took her hand in his and placed a kiss on her palm. “It’s the truth.” He then kissed her wrist before tugging her up from her seat so he could properly hug her. “Everything’s gonna work out.” He whispered into her hair, not sure if he was reassuring her or himself.

She let out a small “oof” when he pulled her to him but the minute his arms wrapped around her, she sunk into the embrace. He felt her nod against his shoulder although the hand that was rubbing up and down his back was rather distracting. In that moment they were comforting each other. They both had to deal with loss and guilt. It truly was one of the worst days they had experienced after joining the Resistance and now they were trying to give each other a little bit of that hope that fueled their fight.

“We need to check in with Finn and Rose,” Kat whispered.

A chime sounding throughout the room broke the two apart as if whoever was on the other side could witness the vulnerable moment between the two. “Colonel Metonae do you copy?” Connix asked over the line.

Kat hurried over to the small console so she could reply. “I copy. What is it, lieutenant?”

“We’ve just lost our last support ship. We are the remaining cruiser and we don’t have much fuel left. What would you like me to do?”

The colonel looked across to Poe, her jaw tightened as she flexed her fingers around the console. “Wait for me. I’m coming to the bridge.”

“Understood,” Connix replied before cutting off communication.

Kat stood as she took a deep breath. Poe stood at the ready, watching as she seemingly got a handle on her anger. “Go get your squadron and meet me at the bridge. Wait for my signal. I’m not entirely sure what I’m going to do yet but I will not let Holdo destroy what Leia has fought for, for most of her life.” With that, she marched out of the room and towards the bridge.

✧☆✧

D’Acy greeted Kat just before she could reach her destination, an uneasy look on her face. The young woman’s features were determined and honestly reminded her of Leia. The commander trusted in Leia’s decision to make Kat a colonel. She had proven herself plenty to be knowledgeable. She even understood why she had decided to not step up. She knew they all had the capabilities to compartmentalize things to keep fighting but even she didn’t know if she could keep the fight going with all of the loss the young woman had experienced in the few hours that everything had taken place. “Kat, unless you have an update on Leia, you’re not allowed on the bridge.”

“Well, then I have an update on Leia.”

The commander smirked slightly. “Do you really?”

“D’Acy, just let me through. We are down to one ship. I am the only other original commanding officer and I would like to know what our plan is since I know we’ve got to only have a few hours left of fuel.”

“Let’s not have a scene. You’ll know soon enough.” D’Acy tried once more.

Kat laughed humorlessly. “Oh, I think I’m ‘bout due for one.” She pushed the commander aside and stormed the bridge. “Holdo?”

“Kat, do you have an update on Leia?” Holdo looked over to where the colonel entered the bridge.

“Cut the shit, Admiral. We had a fleet and now we’re down to a single ship. You have not only kept a commanding officer in the dark but you have told your members nothing.” She stepped down, making her way towards Holdo. “Tell us you have a plan. That there’s hope.”

“When I served under Leia, she used to always say hope is like the sun. If you only believe in it when you can see it…”

“You’ll never make it through the night. Yeah, I know.” She gave the other woman a pointed look. 

“Then why do you need me to tell you there is?”

Scoffing, Kat rolled her eyes. It wasn’t about hope, necessarily. Kat just needed to know a plan so she could jump into action. She couldn’t just sit and wait any longer. Looking behind the other woman’s shoulder, she saw the screen showing the transports being fueled up. There was no hiding the anger that was being barely contained beneath the surface any longer. “Are you fueling up the transports?”

When Holdo didn’t answer, Kat made her way towards the screen. When she got the visual confirmation she needed, she spun around to face Holdo once more, fists curled tight at her side. “Is this why you didn’t tell me? You didn’t want my push back? We could have figured out another way Holdo!” She began to pace, trying to get control over her emotions so she could take things over. In a burst of anger, she pushed over some trunks just as Poe entered the room.

He had told his team to wait in the hall when he heard Kat yell towards the interim general. He wasn’t sure how he was going to help her or if that was the signal but seeing Holdo keep back guards after her outburst, he stepped forward which caused D’Acy to roll her eyes. “Colonel, what’s going on?” He asked, causing both Kat and Holdo to turn towards him.

He barely registered Holdo’s glare. The interim general was not at all surprised that the pilot wasn’t too far behind the colonel. All he had eyes for was the brunette who had her hands placed on her hips with a storm raging behind her eyes. He didn’t think he had ever seen her so upset and he pissed her off far too often for him to know the differences in the levels of her anger.

“Her grand plan is to abandon ship. She’s fueling up the transport ships which are unarmed and unshielded.” She finally answered, motioning towards Holdo.

Poe stared at the interim general in disbelief. “Are you serious? Are you really being that much of a coward? Right there is one of the best strategists you have. You should have used her instead of becoming a traitor.”

“Get these two off my bridge,” Holdo ordered.

Kat pushed the guard’s arm away when he tried to grab her arm. “I’m going.” She hissed as she walked out of the room, head held high as she tugged Poe along with her.

“I need you to try and make contact,” Kat said when they were far enough away. “We need to know where Finn and Rose are before we do anything else because if we have to stall for longer than we have fuel…” She trailed off, not even wanting to say it.

Poe nodded and turned to his team. “Head back to the hangar. We’ll meet you there and let you know what our next steps are.”

The group nodded and continued walking as Poe and Kat entered his room. Pulling out the commlink connected to Finn and Rose, he called them. “Finn, Holdo’s loading the crew in the shuttle. She’s going to abandon ship. Where are you?” Poe asked as soon as the line connected.

With the stars flying by them in a blue light, they were so close to getting back to the Resistance. They didn’t have the master codebreaker but they still managed to get a codebreaker while stirring up some trouble on Canto Bight. Finn and Rose looked at each other with worry. “Poe, we’re on our way back to the fleet. We’re so close.” Finn promised.

“Did you find the master codebreaker?” Kat asked.

“Well, we found a codebreaker,” Finn answered, trying not to sound too nervous. “We can shut the tracker down. Just buy us a little more time.”

Both Kat and Poe looked to each other, their frustration written all over their faces. Kat let out a sigh and turned away from where she was huddled next to Poe so she could hear the commlink. Once more she started pacing, fingers twitching for her batons.

“All right. Hurry.” Poe agreed before ending the connection.

He let out a sigh and tossed the commlink on his bed. Placing his hands on his hips, he watched Kat pace a couple more times before bringing her into his arms so they could start swaying around his room. “We just need to give them more time and then figure out a way to get back on the bridge so we can jump to lightspeed. Even then we should be able to get enough away from the First Order so we can use the transports to get somewhere to hide and regroup.”

Kat let out a small huff as he swept her into his arms so they could start dancing instead of having her pace. “We’re going to have to take it over. We’re really gonna have to cause a mutiny so I can take back the interim position.”

“We can do that. I’m sure you’ll have plenty of support.” Poe nodded.

“I’m beginning to think I should have just taken it all along.” She shook her head, not really liking how things were playing out. Leia had always told her to trust her leaders but Holdo was just making it so hard.

“I mean I wasn’t going to say it, but…” He trailed off, smirking at her.

Rolling her eyes, she pushed away from him. “Let’s go tell the team.”


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Communication is key...always but especially if there's three strong personalities just trying to do what's best for the Resistance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I know that I had been updating practically daily there for awhile so I hope this next chapter was worth the wait while I dealt with real life things over a long weekend.

“I think it’d be best if we let her in on our plan and then depending on her answer, that’s when we take over,” Kat said as they walked towards the hangar to inform Black Squadron.

Poe looked over at her with a raised eyebrow. “You’re really giving her one last chance?”

“She made a decision based on the information she had. We give her new info, we see if she makes a new decision.”

He nodded. “Makes sense.”

Holdo was already in the hangar directing crew members as they loaded up the transports. With the interim general distracted, Kat and Poe pulled the members of Black Squadron and Connix off to the side. “So things didn’t go too well earlier. As you can see, she’s loading up the transports, wanting to abandon ship.” Poe addressed his team. “We are to back Colonel Metonae through everything that’s about to happen. Which, I will let her explain…” He trailed off a bit, realizing he had jumped in with orders right as Kat was about to address the group.

The team bit back their snickers as they turned their focus to their colonel, who was currently trying to hide her own amusement. “Thank you, commander.” She said, the corners of her lips quirking up when she noticed Poe freeze and the pleased looks of the squadron. “As you know, Finn and Rose have gone to retrieve a codebreaker in order to slip onto Snoke’s destroyer so they can shut down the tracker. They’re close to returning so we need to buy them a little time. The current plan is to inform Holdo of this unauthorized op so that maybe she’ll reconsider abandoning ship. If she does decline, I will be relieving her of her duties. I need you all to be close by in case of this. That way we can keep Holdo and those who aren’t in agreeance out of our way and certainly out of the bridge.”

The team all nodded, some even gave her a salute, showing that they all understood before dispersing. Now was the moment of truth. Everything that Leia had taught her along with the need to do what she thought was right warred inside of her. She closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths when suddenly there was added warmth at her lower back. Opening her eyes, she turned to look to see who had touched her, even if she had some idea and came face to face with none other than Poe Dameron.

He was a lot closer than he was previously and she could see every single detail of those endless brown eyes. They honestly reminded her of space with how dark they appeared even though there were plenty of flecks of lighter hues that added light to them, just like the stars added light to a dark sky. “I’m here with you every step of the way.” He promised, his thumb beginning to caress her back in a comforting way.

She could kiss him, she realized. Even when they had hated each other's guts, he was always around, and now that they finally decided to work together, he was constantly there. Her heart swelled, walls crumbled and she was scared shitless but for a completely different reason than what she was just moments before.

Instead, she brought her hand up and gave the arm that was wrapped around her a grateful squeeze as she nodded. “Let’s go save the Resistance.”

He gave her a dazzling smile as he repeated what she had just said. Before she could do anything stupid, like give in to the impulse to kiss him, she turned and headed back to where Holdo stood, Poe following behind her.

“You two better be here to help with loading these transports and not wasting any more time,” Holdo said as she saw the two approach.

“Actually, Vice Admiral, time is exactly what we need a little more of,” Kat replied.

The interim general turned to look at the young colonel and raised an eyebrow. “What do you mean?”

“Dameron and I have sent Finn and Rose to get a codebreaker so that they can slip in undetected onto Snoke’s destroyer. They’re going to disable the tracker and then get out of there joining us when we jump to lightspeed. From there we can load up the transports and go wherever but we just need more time. They’re almost there to disable it.”

Holdo looked horrified at the news. “A stormtrooper and a who now are doing what?”

“They’re trying to save us. They’re almost to the destroyer. We just need to give them more time.” Kat pleaded.

“You have bet the survival of the Resistance on bad odds and put us all at risk? Who came up with the idea, you or him?” She looked between the two.

“This is our best chance at escape. You just need to give Finn and Rose more time.” Poe said.

Holdo hummed, nodding before putting her attention back on Kat. “You need to stop working from your blind spots. You don’t see the picture as clearly as you used to.” She then turned to the members of the crew that had paused what they were doing to watch what was happening between the officers. “Continue loading the transports.” She ordered.

Kat let out a sigh despite the confusion she felt from Holdo’s comment. “I was really hoping you weren’t going to say that.”

Poe pulled out his blaster and soon Connix and the members of Black Squadron did the same. Stepping slightly in front of Kat, who had pulled out her batons, he squared his shoulders in preparation for what he was about to do. “Then I regret to inform you that on behalf of Colonel Metonae, that you Vice Admiral Holdo will be relieved of your duties and she will be taking her rightful place of leading this Resistance.”

Holdo kept her eyes on Kat the entire time. “You don’t want to do this, Kat. This isn’t you.”

The colonel scoffed. “You really need to make up your mind on who you think me to be. I’m doing what I think is right for the good of the Resistance.” She turned to look at the team that was helping her and Poe with their mission. “Keep them here.” She ordered.

As the team moved forward to follow her orders, she touched Poe's back. “Come on, let’s go.”

They hurried to the bridge, having most of the crew escorted out. With the help of Connix, the pair was soon dancing around each other as they prepped the ship to go into hyperspace, ignoring C3PO’s fretting over their actions. With her side done, she held out her hand at the communications console and Poe handed over the commlink so she could open up a line for whenever Finn was ready to give them any sort of information. Now that everything was ready, they both stood, watching out the window and hoping against all hope they would hear either Finn or Rose’s voice soon.

✧☆✧

It was a slow waking up but as soon as Leia opened her eyes everything rushed towards her memories, the tension in the force, and even the lingering trail of Luke reaching out. She pushed the dome over her face out of the way, standing quickly. Something was going on with the ship. Grabbing her stun blaster, she made her way out into the hallway just as Holdo and a few others were marching past.

The vice admiral faltered in her steps as she saw the general standing there. “You’re awake.”

“I am. Now, what’s going on?”

“Colonel Metonae and Captain Dameron have staged a mutiny. We need to get on the transports soon so we can get to Crait.”

Leia looked slightly confused at the news. “What do you mean they staged a mutiny? Did she not take over while I was healing?”

Holdo shook her head. “No, she defaulted to me on the grounds of not being ready.”

The general sighed. “Then I’m assuming she wasn’t made aware of your plan to get us to Crait?”

“I made the decision to keep her in the dark due to the closeness she has with Captain Dameron.”

A mix of emotions crossed Leia’s face. “I wish you had trusted her. She would have been able to get him on board with this plan. And don’t think I’m not about to give her the same speech. She should have trusted you as well.” She gave Holdo a pointed look when she noticed that the other woman was about to argue. “Now, let’s get these two back in line, shall we?”

✧☆✧

In the end, they both grew too impatient so Poe switched commlinks and connected with BB-8. “BB-8, tell me something good.”

Poe’s voice was heard on the astromech’s speaker and Finn quickly took over the connection with the commlink. “We’re almost there. Have the cruiser prepped for lightspeed.”

“Everything’s ready. Just hurry.” Kat implored.

At the sound of blasters going off, Kat looked to the security feed they had pulled up of the hangar. She and Poe shared a look before he ordered Connix to seal the door that allowed entry to the bridge.

With that order, the gold droid started to hurry away. Kat sighed as she rushed over to catch the droid’s arm. “Where do you think you’re going? Everything’s fine.”

“It would be quite against my programming to party to a mutiny. It is not correct protocol.”

“Then let’s not think about it as a mutiny and think about it as me feeling well enough to take charge. So let’s just stay here, calm down, hm?”

Just then the door they had just sealed was being cut through, stopping the droid in its tracks. “Oh but neither is that.”

Kat let go of C3PO and went to the door, pulling her batons out as she waited for whoever was on the other side to come through so she could have the element of surprise on them. Poe stooped behind the pilot’s seat as he readied his stun blaster while Connix hid behind one of the consoles.

“Finn, I need some news!” Poe exclaimed.

“Nearly there.” He replied.

But then the sound of the First Order shouting filled the bridge. Kat and Poe looked to each other with wide eyes. Was this really going to be another mission that they both failed at so fresh after what happened with the dreadnought? Not only that but both of their friends were about to get captured and the guilt that flashed in their eyes would be something they’d both carry for a long time. “They didn’t make it.” He confirmed what they were both hearing.

The door blasted open then. Kat turned away and ducked from the flying debris. She was just about to attack when she saw the one person she hadn’t been planning on seeing. “Mom…”

“Leia,” Poe said at the same time, voice filled with hope.

The woman lifted her stun blaster and shot Poe, sending him flying backward, slamming into the wall behind him. Connix and C3PO raised their hands in surrender while Kat just stared at the woman stunned. Leia turned on her daughter and the stunned expression quickly turned into one of a child knowing they were about to get punished by a parent.

“Back to the hangar with you.” She then turned to the others in the room. “All of you and someone get Dameron.” She ordered before nudging her daughter forward.

Kat stumbled forward and then winced when she felt the smack to the back of her head. “What in the world were you thinking? Did you forget everything that I taught you? Honestly, Katerina, mutiny?” Leia tugged the young woman into her room so she could change out of her medical robes while still speaking with her daughter. The rest continued to the hangar.

“I thought I was doing the right thing. The way Holdo ran things, she could have ruined everything you’ve fought for. How was I not supposed to fight back?” Kat defended her choices.

“Then maybe you should have taken the position in the first place.” She gave Kat a pointed look.

Looking down at her feet, Kat let out a heavy sigh. “I nearly lost you. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to lead. If Poe hadn’t stopped me, I would have attacked a medic droid just because they kept telling me to stay back.”

Once she was fully dressed, Leia walked over and placed a hand on Kat’s shoulders. “You’re not even going to argue about how Holdo didn’t give you any information to go off on?”

Smirking, she brought her eyes up to meet her mother’s face. “You clearly already spoke with the vice-admiral so why would I give you duplicate information?”

Leia brought her hand from her shoulder to caress her cheek. “She should have told you about her plan. I think you would actually have agreed to it. But you need to still go on even if I’m no longer here. Never give up what is rightfully yours just so you can take it back later. Mutiny is not a good look on you.”

“So you’re not mad?”

“Oh, I’m mad but I understand why.”

“We had a really good plan. The First Order just found a way to spoil it at the very end.” She let out a sigh. “Are you sure he and I are a good team? This is the second plan we’ve come up with that has ended in failure.”

Leia laughed. “I’m certain of it. We just need to keep both of your recklessness at a minimum. We’ll get Finn and Rose back but first, we need to get to Crait.”

Kat’s brows furrowed. “We’re going to Crait?” There was an old rebel base there. They could hide out easily until the First Order disappeared and regroup before figuring out where they wanted to truly set up their next base.

“We are and in cloaked transporters, no less.”

“I- she- but-” She started and stopped multiple times, staring at her mother in awe. “You know, you might want to let other commanding officers know the importance of communication. We could have avoided this whole mess if I had just known.”

“Don’t I know it. Now come on, we have a transporter to board.”

✧☆✧

As the duo entered the hangar, two medics were pushing Poe, still unconscious, on a gurney. “You know, I’m a little jealous that you got to be the one to shoot him. I’ve imagined it far too many times.” She joked even if her expression showed a bit of adoration towards the pilot.

Leia just smirked and nudged her forward. “Go with him.”

She no longer needed to be told twice. Kat hurried over and placed her hand on his as they all entered the transport together. The general joined her friend that had taken command while she had been healing. Holdo watched with a small smile as the pair boarded the transport. “Those two are troublemakers. I like them.”

Leia smirked. “Me too and really I only have myself to blame for pushing them together.”

Holdo laughed. “They make a good team. I can see why you did.”

“Now, time to board a transport,” Leia said, heading towards the transport that Kat and Poe had just boarded.

“For the transports to escape, someone needs to stay behind and pilot the cruiser,” Holdo said, looking like a woman who very much had accepted her fate.

Leia turned around looking to her friend, not wanting to believe what Holdo was suggesting. “Too many losses. I can’t take anymore.” She tried to persuade the other woman to not go through with the decision.

“Sure you can. You taught me how.” It was decided then and Leia knew it.

The two women stared at each other for a moment before starting to speak at the same time. “May the force be with…” Realizing they had started the same farewell, they chuckled.

“You go on. I’ve said it enough.” Leia motioned for Holdo to continue.

“May the force be with you always,” Holdo said, a watery smile displayed on her features as she said farewell to one of her greatest friends.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Poe and Kat learn a lesson.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I apologize for the wait. I should hopefully not have any more large life events until the holidays to keep me off track. If you're keeping track of where we are in the films, we're headed towards the Battle of Crait in this chapter and moving slightly beyond. I hope you enjoy and happy reading!

Kat looked up when Leia came to be near her. She was seated by Poe, holding his hand. There was a sad air about the older woman that even Kat could pick up on. “What’s happened? Where’s Holdo?”

“She’s staying behind to pilot the cruiser.”

Her eyes widened. “There’s been so many losses already.”

“It’s her choice.”

Kat sighed, nodding. “There was something she told me that made me worried.” She looked to her mom, that worry written plainly all over her features. “She said that I was working in my blind spots. That I didn’t see the picture clearly anymore.”

Leia placed a hand on her cheek. “I have blind spots too. It used to just be in the form of your father but then it morphed to include you and your brother. In my experience, they’re typically correlated with those you love.”

Shaking her head, Kat didn’t want to agree with what her mom had said. She could easily see it in regards to her. She had thrown out all she had been taught from the woman sitting next to her because she was trying to preserve Leia’s life’s work.

“Sometimes it’s in the form of blindly following instead of looking at all options when presented with new information.” She said, giving her daughter a knowing look.

Well, that statement hit a little too close to home. So Kat looked away and her eyes landed on Poe’s still unconscious form.

✧✩✧

Suddenly Poe jolted awake, startling Kat. He looked around, dread filling his stomach before his eyes landed on a hand in his. He followed the hand to where it was connected to an arm, all the way up to Kat’s face whose features had settled into something a bit apologetic. “No, no, no, Kat we’re sitting ducks out here and you know it.” He said as he sat up, turning to face her.

“Actually, we’re not. They don’t even know we’re out here.” She squeezed his hand before letting go and motioning for him to look out the bit of transparisteel they were sitting in front of.

A blue looking planet was growing larger and larger as they grew closer and closer. “What is that?” He asked, coming to stand near the two women.

“The mineral planet, Crait,” D’Acy answered. “An uncharted hideout from the days of the Rebellion.”

“That’s a Rebel base?” Poe asked in disbelief, turning to look at the other commanding officer.

“Abandoned and heavily armored. With enough power to get a distress signal to our allies scattered in the outer rim.” D’Acy answered once more, looking at both Kat and Poe, not knowing that the colonel had now been made aware of what Holdo’s plan held.

“Holdo knew the First Order was tracking our big ship. They’re not monitoring for little transports.” Leia spoke up, speaking to the two right in front of her.

Kat looked up to Poe as he looked at her with a sigh, understanding washing over him now. Kat had figured it out when Leia had told her they were headed to Crait, she just wished she had been told before she made a mess of things. But then things truly clicked for Poe. “So we could slip down to the surface unnoticed and hide until the First Order passes.” He said, getting the idea behind Holdo’s plan now. He wished that he and Kat had just been told or they wouldn’t have fought to try and save the Raddus. Not to mention Finn, Rose, and BB-8 would still be with them.

“Exactly.” Kat agreed, nodding her head.

“Holdo was more interested in protecting the light than seeming like a hero,” Leia said as she took the tracking beacon for Rey back from Poe’s wrist and sliding it onto her own.

The two both turned to look at the Raddus through the transparisteel on the other side of the transport. Kat’s heart felt heavy, knowing that Holdo was going to be another name added to the list of losses.

Poe looked back to Kat. “Seems like a better plan than ours.” He whispered.

Kat shook her head. “Both were good plans with the information we had.” She reached out and squeezed Poe’s arm. “We’re gonna get them back, Poe.”

He nodded. “I know.”

It was then the transport shook as one of the others was hit with a cannon blast from the First Order. Kat shot up, heart racing while simultaneously dropping to the pit of her stomach. Leia took her hand, bringing the woman to sit back down. “There’s nothing we can do.”

Kat whirled on Leia. “I can take over. We can push to maximum speed.”

Leia shook her head, knowing that there was nothing they could do.

“These are my men that are flying. There has to be something!” She grew frantic, not wanting to lose anyone else. She was supposed to be the one who helped make sure there were few casualties and all she seemed capable of today was to add to that count.

Poe took her hand, caressing her knuckles. “Kat…”

“I swear to the maker Dameron if you speak anything other than an idea on how to help, you will be unconscious, again.”

There was movement that caught Kat’s eye. She pulled away from the two people who were trying to keep her calm so she could look out the window. The Raddus was firing up its engines and turning around. “She’s running away,” Connix said, watching beside Kat.

“No, she isn’t,” Kat replied, dread filling her. Holdo was about to jump to lightspeed and destroy the First Order fleet as she flew through them. She hoped that Finn, Rose, and BB-8 would still be okay if they hadn’t been killed already.

✧✩✧

Once they landed on Crait, everyone grabbed a weapon. They lowered the blaster doors until just a small gap was left so that Leia could watch the skies. Just because they landed, didn’t mean that they were safe. A ship headed towards them, followed by two TIE fighters. Over a small radio, Leia ordered the person on the other line to close the shield door.

The leading ship came in hot and the blasts from the TIE fighters were slipping through the remaining opening. Everyone ran towards the back of the base. Kat and Poe ran on either end of the group yelling out orders for people to run and to keep going back in between orders to get the door down.

The First Order transport slid inside the base just at the last minute, coming to a stop just in front of where the remaining Resistance members shot towards it. Poe, Leia, and Kat took the lead, moving in closer to the ship until they heard Rose and Finn’s voices. “Hold your fire!” Poe shouted.

When the blasts were done both Rose and Finn popped up from the cockpit. “Finn!”

“Rose!”

“You’re not dead!” Kat and Poe exclaimed at the same time, lowering their weapons.

“Where’s my droid?” Poe asked just before BB-8’s chirping could be heard as he exited the ship.

Both Poe and Kat took off running but while Poe stopped to reunite with his droid, Kat ran right to Rose, wrapping the mechanic in her arms. “I’m never letting you go on a mission again.” She said, rocking them back and forth.

Rose couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know. I think I did an okay job.”

Kat pulled back, giving the other woman a pointed look before going to hug Finn. “I’m glad you’re safe too.”

Finn chuckled, returning the hug despite the surprise he felt towards it at first.

“This is all that’s left?” Rose asked as Kat pulled away.

The colonel sighed. “I’m afraid so but we’re reaching out to our allies in the outer rim. Hopefully, we’ll be able to rebuild. For now, we’re gonna give the First Order all we got. Now come on, I’m sure we could use your help in getting everything booted back up.” She draped an arm over Rose’s shoulders and moved towards the command center at the back of the base.

“Actually Rose, will you take a look at what was left behind and see what we can use?” Leia asked as the two women passed her.

Rose nodded. “Of course.” She squeezed Kat’s hand before calling out a few names so they could help her.

“You and Poe are running point on this,” Leia informed her daughter as they made their way towards the command center.

Kat looked to her mom, confused. “Oh, ha, ha I get it cause we did the thing on the Raddus. You’re hilarious.”

“That’s exactly why.” Leia looked completely serious.

“Wait, is this my punishment?”

“Call it a lesson.” The corners of Leia’s lips quirked up as she continued on without Kat.

She watched Leia in awe before turning around to see if she could find Poe. He was still talking with BB-8 who wanted to tell him all about what he had done while they were apart. “Hey, I hate to cut this reunion short but I need your help setting up this base.” She said, touching his arm to get his attention.

Poe looked up at her, curiosity was written all over his features. “Okay. We need to get the shield up first.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Kat agreed.

“Is this because…”

“Absolutely. She’s teaching us a lesson.” Kat cut him off, her answer causing him to chuckle.

“After the shields are up we can send out our signal and depending on what we find here, we can hopefully defend ourselves long enough for help to arrive.”

“Rose has already been asked to take a look at what was left behind that could potentially be used.”

“Alright, let’s get these shields up then.”

The two moved around the space checking on everyone as they helped clean, reboot, and get the command center back in order. Anytime they passed each other their hands brushed, silently keeping each other grounded so the what-ifs wouldn’t plague their thoughts and control their decisions. Leia watched on with an amused look. Yes, the galaxy would be in good hands with those two.

They got the shield back up and just as Connix planned on using Leia’s code to send out a signal to their allies, Rose and her team returned from their hunt. “Rose, what do you got?” Kat asked.

“Rotting munitions, rusted artillery, some half-gutted skim speeders.”

Poe sighed beside Kat, having come up behind her when he saw Rose coming in. “Well, let’s just pray that big ass door holds long enough to get help.”

As if on cue the ground started to rumble. Dirt started to fall from the ceiling and the vulptices began to whine as they looked around, nervous. Finn stepped over to the telescope to see what was going on outside the door. Sighing, he pulled away from the lookout spot to the team. “A battering ram cannon.”

“A what now?” Poe asked.

“Miniaturized Death Star tech. It’ll crack that door open like an egg.” Finn further explained.

“There has to be a back way out of here, right?” Rose asked, looking to Poe and Kat.

BB-8 began chirping as the astromech and C3PO rejoined the team after looking into the mine’s schematics. “BB-8 has analyzed the mine’s schematics.” The golden droid translated. “This is the only way in or out.”

Kat’s fingers itched for her batons, needing to think. She took a step forward but Poe took hold of her hand. “Don’t you start pacing.” He warned quietly. If she started pacing it’d worry everyone else and they couldn’t exactly start dancing either.

“Come on. We have allies. People believe in Leia. They'll get our message, they'll come. But we have to buy time. We gotta take out that cannon.” Finn spoke up, causing all eyes to be on him.

At his words, Kat nodded, all information she had managed to gather about the base starting to come to her. She had a crazy idea and it just might work. “He’s right. So here’s what we’re gonna do.”

✧☆✧

She along with Poe, Finn, Rose, the members of the Black Squadron, and the handful of pilots she still had in her naval fleet flew the skim speeders towards the AT-ATs and battering ram while most of the resistance stayed behind in the trenches in front of the base and the defense canons. Kat was on one end while Poe was on the other. The speeders were in horrendous condition but somehow managed to still work.

Soon First Order TIEs joined the scene and Kat really didn’t like their odds then. But she’d been playing against bad odds all day so she was bound to have a good go at some point, right?

“Fighters, break off!” Poe ordered and soon they all began to break their formation.

“Come on! We gotta hold them until they bring out that canon!” Kat said as she dodged a blast from one of the TIEs. She briefly wondered if Ben was in one of them or one of the AT-ATs. She then wondered if he knew she was in one of the speeders, would he call the TIEs off. Then again he was near when Leia had been pulled out into space and she hadn’t received one call from him and he certainly didn’t try to contact her after Han’s death. Could he truly be completely taken over by the dark side now?

It was then a familiar shadow flew over her causing her to look to the sky. The Millennium Falcon had appeared and she shouted with glee. Chewbacca and Rey were back. That hopefully meant Luke was too.

They drew the fighters away just as the First Order was finally bringing the cannon forward. “Okay, it's heavily armored. Our only shot is right down the throat.” Finn informed them as they kept driving towards it. The cannon began whirring to life and Finn shouted, “the cannon's opening. This is our chance.”

The AT-ATs then focused their attack onto the speeders and soon they were down to eleven with more going by the second. They were then down to Kat, Poe, Finn, Rose, and the members of the Black Squadron. Having learned his lesson with their mission against the dreadnought, Poe ordered everyone to pull away.

Kat looked over to where Poe was, smiling. He was trying to save the rest of them. She was glad she didn’t have to speak up to try and convince him to do just that. Finn, however, was determined to take out the cannon. “No, Finn! It’s too dangerous. We have to retreat now. That’s an order.” She argued as she turned her speeder around.

Finn kept going towards the cannon despite everyone else listening to their leaders’ orders. Instead, he kept his course and fired up his guns.

“Finn! It’s too late, don’t do this!” Rose tried to get him to see reason.

“No! I won’t let them win!”

“No! Finn, listen to Kat and Poe. We have to retreat!”

Finn pushed the mic to his headset up, ending the connection.

Those that had listened to the order had jumped from their speeders as the cannon fired on the door. The power behind it caused things to blow around as if the presence of a powerful wind was there. They slid into the trenches, running back inside. Poe waited just inside the base, waiting to see if Kat had made it back safely and when he saw her running towards him, he held out his hand for her to take.

Just like back on Coruscant, they ran hand in hand back through the base to prepare to fight against the oncoming attack. They were waiting, guns at the ready when a cloaked figure walked past. They all stood watching, some not realizing who it was, but Kat knew right away. Tears sprang to her eyes as she stepped forward. “Uncle Luke?” She honestly hated how her voice cracked.

The Jedi turned to face her and smirked. “Does my being here really make you that upset?” He teased her.

She ran over to him, wrapping her arms around him. “You came. Rey and Chewie brought you home.”

Luke pulled away from the hug and gave her a sad smile. “Not exactly. Now go get the rest of the Resistance to safety. I’ll handle your brother.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead and continued out to face Kylo Ren.

Kat watched him, confused by what he meant by not exactly. She touched him. He felt solid. And then he was consumed by blaster fire. “No!” She screamed, starting to make her way to him but Poe rushed to her, holding her against him so she wouldn’t get caught up in the same thing.

Then the red smoke settled and Luke was still standing. “How?” She gasped, silent tears still rushing down her cheeks.

“He’s projecting himself through the force,” Leia answered as she came up behind him, throwing Poe a grateful smile for keeping her daughter from running out into the fight.

Poe nodded, letting Kat go as she turned to face Leia. “He’s not exactly here.” She whispered as things began to click together. She wiped away her tears, steeling herself to keep fighting. She looked over, seeing Rose receiving medical treatment and Finn watching over her. How did she miss their return?

She shook her head to clear her thoughts she needed to focus. Poe reached out and took her hand, squeezing it. Not entirely sure if he should tell her that Kylo Ren had just appeared. The look on Leia’s face told him to keep it a secret for now. “He’s doing this for a reason.” Poe finally said, trying to come up with said reason so they could make a plan. Then it hit him. “He’s stalling so we can escape.”

Kat looked at him and nodded. “There’s gotta be another way out.”

“Exactly. There’s gotta be another way out.” He smiled at her as they started walking towards the back of the base.

“Sir, it is possible that a natural unmapped opening exists,” C3PO spoke up, coming over to the pair. “But this facility is such a maze of endless tunnels that the odds of finding an exit are 15,428…”

As the droid began talking Poe realized something. It was quieter than before. The tinkling from the vulptices could no longer be heard. With his free hand, he waved towards the droid trying to get them to stop talking. Finally, when they were about to rattle off the odds, they listened.

“Listen,” Poe suggested.

Everyone paused to do just that. When Kat realized what he was listening for, her face lit up. “Where’d the crystal animals go?” She asked just as one popped out at the end of one of the tunnels.

Smiling at one another, they turned to the rest of their team. “Follow us.” They started making their way towards the vulptex but when they noticed no one was following them, they turned back around.

Everyone was looking at Leia, who then looked behind her. “What are you looking at me for? Follow them.” She motioned to the pair who smiled their thanks and began making their way towards the tunnel.

“I think we passed,” Poe whispered to Kat.

“I think we did too.” She smiled.

✧☆✧

They hurried through the tunnels, not knowing how much time they really had before the First Order figured things out. Things were looking up as they heard more vulptices but when they came to an opening, large boulders blocked their path. “No, no, no, no, no,” Poe muttered as he let go of Kat’s hand to move towards the rocks.

Kat followed him but just as she was about to start suggesting they try to move some, a rumbling began and they were lifted out of the way. Amazed they hurried to the entrance and saw Rey standing there, arm outstretched. Finn, who had been close behind them after seeing the rocks move on their own, pushed past them and ran towards his friend, pulling her in for a tight hug.

With the rocks out of the way, Kat and Poe started ushering people towards the Falcon. She honestly didn’t think she would ever be more relieved to see the hunk of junk freighter than she was in that moment. She motioned for Poe to go ahead, waiting for Leia so they could walk into the familiar ship together. Honestly, she didn’t want to enter the ship just yet knowing that Han wouldn’t be there to greet her. She was appreciative of Poe’s support and comfort but there was just nothing that could beat the comfort of a mom.

She and Leia had just reached the top of the canyon when she noticed that subtle shift in her mom when she felt something shift in the force. Leia looked to Rey who had felt it too. “What happened, mom?” Kat asked softly.

Leia patted Kat’s hand, smiling softly at hearing her still using mom to refer to her. “Your uncle has passed but we need to get going before your brother catches onto us.”

Kat let out a heavy sigh and nodded. “It never ends, does it?”

“I’m afraid not. Now go see if Chewie needs some help flying the old girl.” She squeezed Kat’s hand as they entered the Falcon.

The colonel made her way to the cockpit, throwing her arms around the Wookiee from behind. He growled in welcome, patting her arms. She leaned her head against his, just enjoying being close to her beloved uncle. Chewbacca and Lando were the only two left that she had met and had a connection to. “I came to see if I could offer any assistance.”

“You’re too late on that,” Poe smirked up at her from the pilot’s seat.

Kat turned to him, surprised she hadn’t even noticed him sitting there. Then again her focus had truly been on Chewbacca. She shoved at his shoulder. “Get out of my seat!”

Chewbacca growled in agreement with Kat which caused Poe to sigh. “One day.” He touched the control panel longingly before getting up.

“Why don’t you go check on our crew, hm? I’ll join you once we set the autopilot.” She looked up at him as she took over the pilot’s seat, looking quite comfortable in it. It had been a while since she had flown the Falcon but it was all coming back to her.

Poe just waved her off and left the two behind as Chewbacca asked Kat where she planned on going. There was an old rebel base on a jungle moon in the outer rim. The planet it orbited protected from cosmic radiation which also allowed for them to hide well since it messed with any tracking technology. “I’m thinking Ajan Kloss. Hidden base and very much out of the way and the last place anyone will think of so we can properly start rebuilding.”

“Smart decision.” Leia’s voice sounded through the cockpit.

Both Chewie and Kat turned to look at the latest addition to the space. “You really think so?”

Leia nodded, sitting in one of the jump seats. “I do.”

Kat smiled and turned back around to set their course.

“I want you to go to bed after you make your rounds,” Leia said in a motherly tone.

“I’m not ten anymore. You don’t get to decide my bedtime.”

“Today has been a tough one on you, I can tell. So you’re going to get some rest, colonel, and that’s an order.”

Sighing, she turned on the autopilot and stood from her seat. “Yes, general.”

As she walked past, Leia held out a hand to stop her. When Kat looked down she just smiled and tapped her cheek causing Kat to laugh. The young woman bent down and placed a kiss on her mom’s cheek. “I love you,” Leia told her which made tears well up in Kat’s eyes. Okay, yeah maybe she was tired because she did not typically cry this easily.

“I love you too,” Kat replied, blinking back her tears.

She stood at the entrance of the main hub, looking over the remaining members of the Resistance. Her eyes landed on Rose, who was still unconscious but now wrapped in a blanket in one of the cots built into the wall of the ship. Finn was sitting on the ground in front of it as if he was keeping watch. Kat’s lips quirked up a bit at the sight.

Soon a slim brunette entered her field of vision as Rey approached her. “You must be Kat. I’m Rey.” She held out her hand for her to shake.

Kat nodded, shaking the woman’s outstretched hand. “I’m assuming you know because of Han. Please tell me he didn’t tell you anything too embarrassing.”

Something passed over Rey’s features before she schooled them into a smile. “No. Just said that he hadn’t seen someone take so keenly to the Falcon since you.”

That did make Kat smile even if she was trying to figure out what Rey was keeping from her. “I learned how to fly on this thing believe it or not.” She shook her head at the memories but then something clicked. Rey didn’t just know Han and Chewbacca, she knew Ben as well. “You also know me from my brother, don’t you?”

She looked a little hesitant but finally nodded. “He thinks about you often. You’re one of the reasons I believe he hasn’t turned fully to the dark side.”

“Then you clearly haven't noticed that Ben is completely gone. I don’t know who he is anymore. Within the span of 24 hours, he’s quite literally tried and partly succeeded in destroying our entire family.” Her voice was cold but there was something akin to hope at hearing that he thought of her.

Rey nodded. “I am truly sorry for your loss.”

Kat gave her a soft smile and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Thank you. For all you’ve done.” She then noticed the cut on Rey’s arm. “Now, if you haven’t already, that cut looks like it could be taken care of. I’m sure there’s a medic around here somewhere.”

“They’ve set up near the kitchen. Need directions on how to get there?” Poe said as he approached the two women.

Rey shook her head. “Think I can manage thanks.” She gave a small wave to Kat and left the two alone.

“How is everyone?” Kat asked, turning to face Poe.

“Tired. Everyone’s finding a spot to sleep. Where’d ya wind up taking us?”

“Ajan Kloss.”

Poe nodded. “Out of the way enough.”

“Exactly.” She smiled. Knowing that everyone was okay, she was truly beginning to feel the exhaustion settling into her bones. “Well, I’m under direct orders from the general to go to bed so I’m gonna do just that.” She pointed in the direction of the captain’s quarters she was fully planning on using if anyone hadn’t claimed it yet. “You should get some rest too. How’s your head?” She reached up without even thinking it through to run her fingers along the back of Poe’s head.

“I’m fine, Kat.” He promised, pulling her hand around and pressing a kiss to her knuckles. “Go get some sleep.” He gave her fingers one last, lingering kiss before nudging her down the hallway.

She fell asleep wondering what his lips would feel like against hers.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Next stop: Ajan Kloss

Leia woke to find Kat curled against her. The general smiled softly, tucking a few strands of hair out of her daughter's face. She had taken her own advice and after she had made her rounds, she had joined Kat in the captain's quarters. She didn't have the heart to wake the young woman up, not when she looked so peaceful and relaxed. She supposed that sleeping in what was practically a second home would allow Kat to finally get the much-needed sleep her body desired.

Placing a kiss on her daughter's forehead, Leia got out of bed and ready for the day. She made her way to the galley to make herself a cup of tea when she felt Rey enter. "Good morning, Rey."

"Good morning. May I have a cup?" She asked, motioning towards the tea that Leia was making.

"Of course." She smiled.

"I met your daughter. She isn't…" The young Jedi trailed off, not quite sure how to phrase the next part. A Jedi? Force sensitive? She wasn’t quite sure of the phrasing but luckily Leia knew what she meant.

"No, her birth parents weren't force users. I may have adopted her but she's every bit my daughter as if I had given birth to her myself." She then smiled. "I hope she didn't treat you poorly. She's slow to trust."

"She was fine.” She smiled reassuringly before she was reminded of how cold her voice had gotten when she mentioned the other Solo child. “I learned though, that I probably shouldn't mention Ben."

"That is a very complicated relationship. She's not too happy with him right now."

Rey couldn't help but laugh. "I think that's putting it lightly."

"My son is gone and I think we're both still coming to terms with that," Leia said as she handed the young Jedi a cup of tea.

When they returned to the main hub of the ship, it seemed a little livelier than a few moments ago. That's when they both noticed a certain pilot pacing. "Poe!" Leia called out, stopping the man in her tracks. "If you're worried about her just go check on her." She smiled knowingly.

Red tinted his cheeks at being caught. He had ignored the looks from his squadron after he returned from heading to the captain’s quarters on his second turn. He gave a curt nod and turned back around to finally head to the room he couldn’t quite make himself go to. When everyone else was awake and with no sign of Kat, who was notorious for being awake before all of them, he had grown worried.

He knocked but when he didn't get a response, he entered the room. He let out a sigh of relief when he noticed the rise and fall of her chest. She was still asleep and it was the most relaxed he thought he'd ever seen her. He almost didn't want to wake her but he also knew that she would be needed eventually. Rose woke in the middle of the night and had asked for her, so he knew that the moment Rose woke again, the mechanic would come looking for her friend.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, he tucked some hair behind her ear, just watching her sleep a little while more. He gently shook her shoulder as he called for her to wake up.

She groaned and swatted at his arm. "Five more minutes."

He chuckled and started shaking her again. "Come on, you've got a crew to inform and a friend to say hello to."

Her eyes opened then, hope shining through them. "Rose's awake?" Her voice was gravelly with sleep as her words slurred a bit.

He chuckled, nodding. "Good morning to you too, Kat." He teased her.

Rolling her eyes, she playfully shoved at him. "You know the last time you woke up before me you had the decency to bring me breakfast." She teased right back.

"How about you get up and we go find something to eat together?"

She rolled onto her back, making a show of thinking about his offer. "Sounds reasonable enough.” She finally said before the silence could enter into more than just a dramatic pause as she turned to face him once more. “Now get out, I gotta put on pants." She pushed at him so he would get off the bed.

"Are pants really a necessity?" He asked with a smirk.

"Out!" She ordered, pointing towards the door. She was not fully functional yet to put up with his flirty comments if the heat rushing to her face was any indication.

With a laugh, he left the room.

Kat emerged a few moments later dressed for the day. Her typical braid was nowhere to be found, however. She left her hair down, using smaller braids to create a headband so she could keep her hair out of her face. Poe didn't say anything, he couldn't say anything. Sure she was always beautiful but her hair was always pulled back, battle-ready whether it be in a braid, a ponytail, or a bun. Seeing her hair down and with such an ease about her, it was the most beautiful he had ever seen her. This ship was just as much hers as it was Leia's or Han's. She looked very much like she belonged like she should be coming out of the captain's quarters.

"What?" She asked when he didn't speak. She didn't want to really read much into the expression written on his face. "I'm not the only one who likes to change her hair every once in a while."

Her comment broke him out of his thoughts. "It's nothing. I've just never seen your hair down before. It looks good." He smiled at her.

Watching her tuck her hair behind her ear made his fingers itch to do just the same. "Thanks." She returned the smile, silence falling over them momentarily. It was a heavy kind of silence, the kind of silence that pushed for them to say things they had kept to themselves for a long time. "So breakfast?" Kat asked instead, motioning for him to start heading down the hall.

✧✩✧

She noticed Leia first, sitting at the small table, cup in front of her, and Rey to her right. Kat came up behind her, just as she was about to kiss her hair, Leia lifted her chin so that the kiss would land on her cheek. "Good morning, mom." She whispered. Kat hadn't had the opportunity to call Han dad until it was far too late, so she wasn't going to waste any time with Leia.

The older woman smiled up at her daughter, rather enjoying the most important title she ever wore come from Kat's lips. "There's still some tea in there if you want some. I haven't been able to check my usual hiding spots to see if there's anything good left."

Kat laughed. "I'm disappointed in you. That should have been the first thing you did."

"Bring me back something if you find anything then?"

"Of course."

As she and Poe continued to the galley, Leia called out. "I like that hairstyle. Where'd you get the idea from?"

Kat smirked, eyes alight with mischief. "There's this story about this princess who ran away to live with the Ewoks on Endor. She apparently wound up saving the planet or something." She shrugged. "I don't know, seems a little far-fetched to me. Great taste in hairstyles though."

Leia laughed, shaking her head. Those surrounding them, Poe and Rey included, looked to the mother-daughter pair in shock. The two hardly ever showed any sign they were related while surrounded by others. Then again it must have been the familiarity of the ship for this felt like watching a private family moment. "Oh, you insufferable child." She muttered as Kat and Poe walked off, Kat's laugh still heard from further down the hallway.

"I don't think we're gonna know what to do with the two of you like this," Poe said, looking over at her. He wished he could see her like this always. It was the most open he had ever seen her.

Kat chuckled. "We're home. We used to pack this thing full and go on family vacations or when we’d go visit Ben. This is where we learned to fly, how to do repairs, I even learned how to shoot and throw a punch on board this ship."

"You learned how to shoot on board the Millennium Falcon?"

"Yeah. Dad didn't think mom would approve so we would sneak on here and he taught me a whole slew of things."

"I'm surprised you don't use a blaster more often then."

Kat shrugged. "I fell in love with the batons on Naboo."

"So is this going to be the new normal?"

"We had a shit day yesterday and we lost a lot of people. They will be mourned properly but right now we need to keep the hope alive and remind them that we need to focus on today and the future. In order to honor the fallen, we must move on and we have a chance to start fresh, build a stronger Resistance so we can finally take down the First Order once and for all."

She paused just outside the galley and looked at him. "If we can do that by joking with one another in our downtime before we get back to work, then that's what we're gonna do. Being a leader isn't just about making up plans, it's also what you do for your followers in between the plans."

There was no doubt in his mind that Kat would be the perfect successor for Leia in all aspects of her life. He hoped that he'd still be a part of her life by then to see it. Then something clicked with something she said at the end. "The way you always made sure we would sleep or go eat after we got back from a flight or if we had put in long hours in the hangar."

The corners of Kat’s lips quirked up. "Exactly."

Just then Rose came over and hugged Kat, Finn not too far behind. "There you are."

The colonel froze at the surprise hug before loosening an arm from Rose's embrace to bring around her friend in order to return it. "How about there you are. You were out the rest of the time on me. How're you feeling?"

"I'm fine. Can I talk to you though? Just you?" She clarified after giving a quick glance to where Poe and Finn were talking with one another.

"Can it be done while looking for Leia's stash in the galley?"

Rose nodded.

"Hey boys, why don't you find out if Chewie needs any help in the cockpit or if he's eaten lately. Rose and I got the galley and we’ll bring something out for ya." She said it as a suggestion but the silent conversation she and Poe just held, made him realize even more that the request was more of an order. Still didn't mean he wasn't a little disappointed.

When the boys had left, Kat steered her friend into the galley and made her sit on the stool that she used to use as a kid when she needed to reach things. "So what's going on?" She asked as she climbed up onto the countertop. She had half a mind to ask Rose to be on the lookout but Han wouldn't be coming in to catch her in the act. The thought made her pause briefly, gently touching the panel she was about to open instead of prying it open like a woman on a mission.

"I in not so many words told Finn that I loved him and before I passed out I kissed him. He's been by my side ever since but he looks at Rey as if she lit all the stars."

Kat snorted. "Rose, you realize I'm the last person you want relationship advice from, right?"

The colonel heard the shuffling of feet, so with a hand still stuck inside the wall of the Falcon, Kat turned to face her friend. Rose looked up at the movement and gave her a small smile. "You're the only one I have left."

She knew that look, knew it all too well and her heart clenched, hating that one of the few people she considered as a friend, now knew that pain. "Then promise if you listen to my advice and it backfires, you won't hate me. I nearly lost my best friend twice yesterday so I'd rather not lose her over bad advice."

"I promise."

"Good." Kat turned around and went back to searching for a certain box. "I say you talk to him but maybe about getting to know each other a little better. I mean you've only really known him for a day and I know you're hiding something from how you two really met. I don't want to see you locked in some triangle where you could potentially get your heartbroken."

Rose let out a sigh. "And you said you're not the best person for relationship advice."

"You're actually gonna take it?"

"I will if you will."

Kat looked over her shoulder, confusion written all over her face.

"Oh, please. I know you left out details of your trip to Coruscant and I know for a fact he wasn't in Leia's room just to check on her. He was checking on you too. Don't even get me started on how you two can now have conversations with just looks between you."

"We've just really honed in on our teamwork," Kat answered, looking back into the wall.

"That's a load of banthashit."

When Kat finally laid eyes on what she had been looking for, she grinned. Not only because she found it but because it gave her an excuse to change the subject. She pulled the box out and set it on the stove so she could hop down. "I hope some of this stuff is still good." She motioned for Rose to join her.

The mechanic allowed for the topic change and helped Kat shift through the box of non-perishable items Leia kept stashed away. And soon she understood why.

There was a variety of yummy looking dried fruits. Even some sweet treats that Kat promised that they would still be good even after years of being tucked away in the wall above the cabinet. But then Kat pulled a bottle out and a sly grin spread across her features.

Corellian whiskey. Either Han knew of the hiding place or Leia stashed it there for special occasions, especially since it looked like it had been opened before.

Kat set the bottle aside and grabbed a few bowls. "It's not going to be as good without some yogurt but it'll do in a pinch." She said as she poured some granola into the bowl before sprinkling a few of each of the dried fruits on top. She then repeated the action for each of the bowls she had pulled out, asking which fruits Rose would like.

When she finished, she left the rest out for others to use if they desired something more than the ration packs. Climbing back to put the box away, Kat returned the panel to the wall and hopped down. "You got the ones for Finn and Rey?" Kat asked as she stacked the bowls she planned on carrying before tucking the bottle of whiskey under her arm.

Rose confirmed and the two were headed back out to the main hub. As they passed people, they let them know what was left behind in the kitchen. Their group of friends was surrounding the table when they returned which made divvying out the bowls a lot easier.

With all the bowls passed out, Kat finally set the bottle of whiskey on the table. "Did you know about this?" She asked Leia.

The older woman laughed, nodding her head. "I had forgotten I stashed that up there. It's a little too early to drink though."

"I know but I'd like to pour one out for dad and maybe do a toast once we land."

Leia smiled and nodded. "I think that can be arranged."

Chewbacca growled, letting Kat know about how much longer. Smiling, she nodded while she chewed her latest bite. "Did you get any sleep last night? I'll keep watch if you want to nap."

His non-answer made Leia order him to rest and told Kat once she was done eating to keep watch. She did just that, watching as the blue light sped past. A porg sat in her lap and while she scratched its stomach, she made the mental note to ask about them.

Kat looked over her shoulder when she heard footsteps, smiling in greeting when she saw that it was Poe. He plopped down in the co-pilot seat. "Thanks for breakfast. I owe you on the next one."

She hummed. "Suppose you do."

"What did Rose want?"

"Girl code. Can't tell ya." She smirked over at him.

"Fair enough. Finn's been asking questions about you so fair warning he may come to try to talk to you."

"Are you warning me to make sure I'm nice?"

Poe laughed. "I mean I know how our first interaction went."

"Well, yeah, you were rude. Finn's never been rude in the interactions I've had with him."

"Is that how you remember when we met?"

"Well, yeah, cause it's true. The first thing practically out of your mouth was the nickname the press had given me."

He shook his head, chuckling. "I put my foot in my mouth sure but I didn't truly start being rude to you until after you were named colonel."

"And yet here you sit."

He smirked over at her. "What can I say, you grew on me."

She bit her cheek to keep a dopey grin from going across her face but she was sure her eyes betrayed her because his smirk changed into more of a lopsided grin. Then there was that desire to kiss him again, even tell him that he had grown on her too. He had worn her walls down and she knew if she gave in to her desires, there would be no turning back, he would be firmly placed in her heart.

Clearly, her mouth was not in line with her head for the next words out of her mouth was all heart. “Yeah, you’ve grown on me too.” She said, eyes widening slightly before she turned to focus on the stars flying past them. She couldn’t believe that those words had come from her lips. Sure it wasn’t some big confession but those words for the two of them had a bit of a deeper meaning.

Poe reached out and took her hand in his, watching her cautiously, not wanting to send her back behind all the locked doors she hid behind. “Kat, you know…”

“Please don’t.” She whispered, cutting him off as she closed her eyes to brace herself for wherever this conversation was going to lead next. The second they crossed this line, the galaxy would take him from her, she just knew it. It’s how her life worked.

Nodding, he squeezed her hand. “Okay. Just promise me that we won’t go backwards.”

Her eyes were still closed and he watched as she took a few deep breaths. She was trying to calm the war that was going on inside of her. Fighting every instinct to tell him to go. They had come such a long way and even she, who pushed things aside, couldn’t ignore how he had stayed by her side throughout the entire time that Leia was healing despite the argument that had been brewing between them. “I promise.” She whispered and because she kept her eyes closed, she missed the dazzling smile that appeared on his face.

He gave her hand another squeeze as he stood. He wasn’t going to force her into anything she wasn’t ready for or anything she didn’t want. He tried to tell her that before she had cut him off. So to show her by his actions, he placed a kiss on the top of her head and slowly let go of her hand. “I’m going to go update the crew on our ETA. If you need a break, come get me and I’ll take over the watch.”

Kat nodded, grateful he was leaving her alone to have her moment. She waited a few seconds after he had left before opening her eyes. Doing what she did best when not wanting to deal with her emotions, she threw herself into the task at hand. Setting the porg down, she stood, looking around the cockpit for any quick fixes that could be worked on so that it wouldn’t be an issue later.

✧✩✧

Right on schedule, Kat and Chewbacca landed the Falcon in the mostly cleared out airfield. Leia mentioned that the old rebel base had never been fully constructed but it would still work. The Resistance broke off into teams to get the base as functional as they would need it for just the night. When they landed it was nearly nightfall and yet the air still was heavy with moisture.

The teams had spread out, figuring out all that was available and what would be needed over time. Under Leia’s guidance, Kat broke the base into sections and instructed each small team on where to go. Rose informed the teams that were assigned to looking for supplies on what they needed to look for and what to keep track of. The teams that weren’t mapping out the base and searching for what could have been stashed or left behind, were focused on getting a command center up and running.

Leia took that team to the cave that was practically in the middle of the whole base. There sat Tantive IV, the cruiser Kat’s grandmother had worked on, that Leia herself used before being taken by Darth Vader. “We’ll use this for our generator and to provide beds. I’m sure we could even use the galley if needed.” Leia said since Kat was too shocked to speak.

The team set to work as they began to construct their command center around the infamous ship. Kat turned to face Leia as she pulled her hair up in a bun so she could get to work. “I thought this ship was destroyed.”

“It only crashed. We were able to recover it, fix it up and we brought it here until we would need it again.”

She shook her head in disbelief, a small smile on her face. It seemed even ships belonging to her family were as stubborn as they were. “Then it looks like I better get to work.”


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat goes on a mission and gets a few surprises.

They wound up with a small fleet of mismatched fighters and a decent start to rebuilding their armory. That first night they had gotten the command center up and running while also moisture protecting all of the tech. Just before they were sent off to sleep Kat passed out small cups and then passed around the bottle of Corellian whiskey. Once she got the bottle back, she held up her glass. “Tonight we would not be standing here without the brave sacrifices of so many. They will never be forgotten and their spirit will help keep pushing us forward. We may be licking our wounds now but with the start of a new day we will bring hope back to the galaxy and wipe out the First Order. So please join me in raising your glass to honor those of our friends who are no longer with us and to celebrate those of our friends who are still here.”

They all raised their glasses and when everyone drank, Kat poured hers out for Han before pouring herself another and drinking it. Leia wrapped an arm around her daughter and pressed a kiss to her cheek. “That was perfect.”

“Thank you.” She easily returned the kiss before going to help with collecting the cups so they could be cleaned.

✧☆✧

In the weeks that followed everyone worked on fixing up the fighters that were worth saving, clearing the airfield so they could land without worrying about vegetation, and setting up various rooms within the cave. As Poe had suggested, Finn had tried to speak with Kat but if she wasn’t in the middle of helping fix a fighter, she was stuck in meetings with the other commanding officers. What felt like the hundredth time he tried to speak with her, Kat gave him an apologetic smile. “I swear I’m not trying to avoid you, Finn. I’m just currently balancing a few too many plates.”

He understood, of course, he did. They were working on rebuilding so they could take out the First Order. She needed to be focused on that instead of someone who was trying to get to know her better since two of the three people in his life thought highly of her. And he needed to focus on how to listen to the force, be one with it as Rey said.

✧☆✧

The first thing the remaining commanding officers did was to give Poe his commander title back. He was grateful but now that meant he was brought into their meetings. He tried to think of the positive that he got to spend more time with Kat since the only time he got to see her lately seemed to be when they were working together on fixing up a fighter. Once he tried to voice his concern about her running on fumes but she waved him off and promised she got plenty of rest.

He found her two days later asleep slumped over her desk in the office she claimed inside the Tantive IV. He carried her to her room and asked Connix to make sure she stayed there until dinner, at least, which turned out to not be a problem.

✧☆✧

Rose spotted her first as she made her way into the galley. She kept watching Kat as she grabbed a sandwich and some tea before looking for a place to sit. To grab the attention of her friend, she waved her arm up in the air making the group around the mechanic turn towards the colonel.

Rey moved down a seat and Poe followed suit so that the seat at the end and across from Rose was empty. “Hey, Kat.” Rose smiled as Kat sat down while also trying to figure out if she needed to get Finn and Rey to leave with her so the two commanding officers could talk privately. Kat, however, didn’t look anything but rested.

The group had joined in with a chorus of greetings and Kat returned each one before her eyes landed on Poe. Her friendly smile turned into one of gratitude. She didn’t linger long, or at least she didn’t think so until she saw Rose’s smile. “So what did I miss?” She asked, wanting to get some sort of conversation started before a topic she didn’t want to discuss was brought up.

“All fighters are now in working order. The airfield is officially cleared and the Jedi training course is cleaned up so Rey starts tomorrow and Finn will start when Rey thinks he’s ready.” Rose answered.

Kat looked down at the newest member of their group and smiled. “Well, you’re certainly learning from the best. Don’t let her be too hard on you. She’s just wanting you to be your best.”

“Thanks but if I survived Luke’s teaching, I think I can handle Leia,” Rey said, a small smirk on her face.

“Fair point.” Kat chuckled before turning to Finn. “Same goes for you.”

Finn chuckled. “I just gotta hone in on the feelings. Now that everything’s set up I should be able to focus on my training.”

Kat nodded. “Good. You were able to hold your own against Kylo Ren there for a while without any training so I’m sure you’ll be even better afterwards.”

“And that also means we can now settle and focus on getting resources and intel on what the First Order is up to,” Poe said, giving a pointed look to Kat.

“Okay, okay. I promise not to overdo it anymore. There was just too much to be done at the start.” She held her hands up in surrender briefly.

Rose smiled, placing her hand on her friend’s. “Good ‘cause we got worried when Poe told us how he found you.”

Kat turned her hand over and gave Rose’s a squeeze. “Only small, covert missions are happening now so we can personally reach out to some of our allies. I swear I’ll get back to how I was on D’Qar.”

“The first one is soon, isn’t it?” Finn asked, causing both commanding officers to nod their heads.

“Leia should be announcing who’s going tomorrow,” Poe answered.

“Well, if it’s not you two, I’ll be shocked,” Rose said, motioning towards Kat and Poe.

Kat shook her head. “Not me. I’m still waiting to hear back from my contacts. The assignments will be based on who’s contact it is. It’ll also more likely be solo missions since they’re supposed to be more low profile.”

The group nodded before they went back to eating. They ate in silence for a bit, still trying to figure out the dynamic between them when Poe spoke up and started telling a story which then launched others to share stories, and soon the group was laughing and getting to know each other a little better. Even Kat shared some of her more wilder stories from her days on Naboo.

She hadn’t even noticed that she had started eating off of Poe’s tray or the fact that he slid it more between them until Rose gave her a look while glancing towards the tray. She had begun to steal the berries that were on his tray and when it had been pointed out, she stopped, a blush covering her cheeks.

While she was laughing at a story Finn was telling, she felt something bump into her elbow. She glanced down and saw the tray, so she looked towards Poe who just bumped her elbow once again. Kat cautiously reached out to take another berry and seeing the small smile on his face, she knew that it was all right.

After she finished her tea, Kat stood which caused all eyes to look towards her. “I should probably do rounds before going back to bed. See you all for breakfast?”

“Go back to bed, Kat. I’ll take care of rounds. I’ll report anything to you if I find anything.” Poe said in a tone that he hoped she wouldn’t argue against. He was honestly surprised she hadn’t given him a ‘you don’t need to take care of me’ speech.

She let out a sigh before turning to Finn. “Walk me to my room, Finn? I know you’ve been trying to speak with me about something for a while so I apparently have time now if you do.”

Finn nodded, gathering his trash as he stood. “Night, guys.”

When they made it out in the hall, Finn grew nervous. He had plenty of time to prepare and now it seemed like no words wanted to come out. Kat seemed to notice this and while she wasn’t exactly the queen of opening up, she was the queen of getting to the point. “I’m assuming this is about Rose?”

He looked towards her, a grateful expression crossing his features. “Yeah, well, and Poe.”

She raised an eyebrow. “What about Rose and Poe?”

“They’re two of the three people I’m close to and well, you’re pretty important to them so I thought I’d try to get to know you better, offer up any help you may need? Honestly, I hadn’t thought this through too well.”

Kat chuckled. “Well, from what I’ve seen from you so far I think you’re better off under D’Acy’s command unless you’ve magically received flight training. You could even help her and the ground forces better understand anything you may have on the First Order’s military tactics that we don’t already know. You may even rank one day.”

Finn smiled, appreciative of what she thought of him from the soldier standpoint. “I’ll see if I can’t speak with her then.”

“What are your intentions with Rose?” She asked as they got to her door.

Looking down at his feet, he grew even more nervous than when he first tried to figure out what to even say.

“Because if you’re going to lead her on, you and I may actually have a problem.” She told him, growing fiercely protective. “And truth be told, I’d rather not have a problem with you.”

“If I am, I don’t mean to. I know people talk because of how close I am with Rey, especially now that she’s teaching me about the force, but she was the first person that saw me as just that, a person. And I think I was the same for her but honestly we see each other more like siblings.”

Kat nodded, she understood how attached at the hip one could be when there’s another person that is on the same wavelength. She thought she had that with Ben at one time but it seemed their time apart had destroyed it. “Then I think you should talk to her and explain that. I think you might be pleasantly surprised.” She gave a small smile.

“Then may I offer some similar advice to you?”

Rolling her eyes, she let out a small sigh. “That’s it you two are officially made for each other, especially if this has anything to do with Poe.”

He just gave her his cheekiest grin before giving her a nonchalant shrug. “I’m just saying he was really worried about you and he even shared his food with you. It just seems like Rose and I aren’t the only ones who need to talk.”

“Goodnight, Finn.” She dismissed him, turning to enter her room, her door closing cutting off the sound of his laughter.

✧☆✧

It was two weeks later when they received the first sound of Emperor Palpatine’s signal, warning that the day where he sought his revenge would happen soon. They didn’t scramble exactly but the commanding officers immediately called an emergency meeting.

“This has to be a hoax. The First Order is planning something else and they sent this out to throw us off their trail.” Kat said, refusing to believe that Palpatine was alive.

“We’ve not received anything else that would imply such,” D’Acy said.

“Then we’ll just have to go look for it. Has there been any chatter to suggest what the First Order has been up to?” Kat asked.

Poe shook his head. “The only thing I’ve heard is that they’ve given up looking for us right now cause Ren wants to make sure no one goes against him being the new Supreme Leader.”

Leia and Kat shared a glance before focusing back on the group. “We need to trace to see where that signal came from. Until then or if it leads nowhere we may need to deploy our best spies to gather intel and two of them are sitting right here.” Leia said, looking to Kat and Poe.

“I can reach out to Ruby either way. Has anyone spoken with Maz?” Kat said.

“I’ll reach out to her,” Poe said.

“D’Acy are there any others that you can reach out to or members of your army that are showing promise that Metonae and Dameron could borrow as they plan their outreach?” Leia asked.

The commander of the grounds team nodded. “I believe they’re both familiar with Finn and I have a few others in mind.”

“Then that’s where we’ll begin.” Leia nodded, dismissing the group.

“How’s Rey coming along?” Kat asked once the others left.

Leia shook her head. “She’s expressed she wants to focus on her training.”

Sighing, Kat stood from the table. “Then you won’t mind if I talk to her?”

“Kat, these next missions are reconnaissance only. If she’s needed then she may join if she chooses to.”

“Okay, great. I’m going to go find her then.” She smiled at Leia before leaving the room to make her way to where Rey had sectioned off a part of the cave for all of her things, ignoring Leia calling her name in a warning.

Luckily Rey was in the cave, reading over one of the Jedi texts. Kat would prefer if Rey felt comfortable joining in on the missions but she would respect the other woman’s wishes. It didn’t mean she couldn’t still help. Kat knew of Palpatine, knew what he was capable of from the stories she had heard from the previous war. She wanted a new take because a fresh set of eyes on the details could mean new insights. She would take all information Rey may have uncovered to help inform the future missions.

"Hey, I'm not interrupting anything, am I?" Kat asked, leaning over the small rock wall that separated the small cove from the rest of the cave.

Rey looked up from the texts she was reading and shook her head. "Not at all. Join me?" She asked, motioning towards the space in front of her.

The colonel smiled and sat down in front of Rey, folding her legs underneath her. "Have you learned how to make fireworks with the dirt yet?" Kat asked, not knowing the technical term or if there was even one for the trick Ben used to do to cheer her up.

"No, I don't think I have. Maybe describe it for me?"

Looking down at her lap, Kat took a deep breath to calm her emotions. "It was something Ben would do to cheer me up sometimes when our old tooka dolls weren't around to make them dance. There was one time he did it with some leftover confetti and glitter from a party. It was honestly one of the prettiest things I'd ever seen at the time. He'd take a small handful of dirt and would toss it into the air before controlling how it would fall back to the ground. He'd do it mostly to keep me from getting too angry so I wouldn't do anything reckless like running away or making some plan on how to smuggle him back home from Luke's Jedi temple." She let out a harsh laugh. "He sounds like a completely different person, doesn't he?"

Rey reached out and placed a hand on Kat’s leg. "We, um, have this connection in the force and I saw him turn back to the light but he also has so much anger in him, I don't know if it's possible anymore."

"As far as I'm concerned, my brother died the second he killed our father." Kat then sighed, looking up at Rey. "Thank you for trying, though. Leia told me that you tried to get him to come back home."

"Of course. This isn't why you're here though, is it?"

Kat shook her head. "No. I don't know how much you've heard about the latest developments but the leader of the Siths has apparently come back from the dead so I was wondering if you had come across anything in those texts you've been studying or Uncle Luke's notes about the Sith or about Emperor Palpatine that could potentially help those who are about to go on reconnaissance ops."

"Nothing’s coming to mind right away but I'll come find you if I come across anything."

Nodding, Kat stood. "That's all I ask. I'll let you get back to what you were working on. Thanks, Rey."

✧☆✧

Just because Palpatine had returned from the dead, didn’t mean their original goal of getting more resources stopped. Kat was flying solo, heading back to Chandrila to meet up with an old friend from her time as Leia’s Chief of Staff. Darby and a few others were working on getting the senate back together or at least creating a network that would be willing to help the Resistance.

The plan was that they were going to meet at one of their old hiding places within the capitol building, exchange funds, and then Kat would be on her way back to Ajan Kloss. She and Leia had debated on which ship she would take and ultimately they landed on an A-Wing to be on the safe side in case she would run into any trouble.

“Oh, so just because you’re a colonel makes you think you don’t have to do a run down?” Poe said just as she was about to climb up into the cockpit.

Kat set her foot back on the ground and turned to face him. “That’s exactly what I think.” She smirked towards him.

He shook his head. “Nope, let’s hear it. What are you gonna do?”

“I’m going to go back home, meet an old friend, and then come back with some more funds.”

“Very good.” He held out a commlink, which she took with a smile. “If you run into any sort of trouble, I’ll be there as fast as I can.”

She wrapped her arms around him and held him tight. The moment her arms wrapped around his shoulders, his wound around her waist, holding her to him. “You won’t even know I’m gone.”

Chuckling, he just pulled her in closer. “I’ll always know when you’re gone.” He muttered.

For once Kat didn’t ruin the moment with a snarky comment that hid her true feelings. Instead, she brought a hand up to caress his cheek. They stayed like that for a few moments, not saying the words that needed to be said between them. Poe froze briefly when he noticed Kat moving forward. He selfishly didn’t want their first kiss to be a goodbye but then she moved her head to the side and placed a lingering kiss on his other cheek before pulling away. Well, he didn’t exactly want that either but he’d take it.

After she went through all of the pre-flight protocols, she looked around for him and gave him a small wave before pushing the fighter down the runway so she could take off. She really had almost done it. She had almost given in and kissed Poe Dameron. All he had done was just what she did to him countless times before he left for a mission. But truly he had done so much more than that. They really had gone past the days where she was positive that he would have rejoiced in her not being on base. Now he had been worried about her leaving.

Okay, so maybe Rose and Finn were right, they needed to talk. It had seemingly worked wonders for them and Kat honestly couldn’t be happier for the both of them. She hated to admit it but Leia was right what seemed like a lifetime ago. She had started opening up more and her lone friendship with Rose had added three others. Not to mention the remainder of her pilots felt comfortable enough approaching her with ideas and having small chats that didn’t revolve around needed parts or mission debriefs.

When she came out of lightspeed in front of Chandrila, she didn’t feel the overwhelming sense of coming home. Sure she felt a strong sense of nostalgia, wishing she was coming back under different circumstances. Then again she felt the same emotions that stirred up when she returned to Coruscant. She was returning to a planet she once called home before tarnished memories made her hurt too much when she thought about her life on the planet.

She descended into the lot that was reserved for visiting diplomats. Hiding her A-Wing among the larger diplomatic ships, Kat hopped out and made her way to the capitol building. She snuck in through the side, following behind a deliveryman, and made her way to a stairwell off the main hall, tucked away by the electrical room. She checked behind her just in case even though no one had recognized her or even paid attention to her.

That was when she noticed a shock of black hair, a black robe, and two people flanking him also dressed in all black. Shit. Her brother was here.

Kat ducked into the stairwell, making sure the door closed as quietly as possible before hurrying down the stairs to the basement. There was an old file room that hadn’t been turned into anything else, holding all the papers from eons ago despite everything being digital now. “Why didn’t you call to tell me my brother was here?” She asked as soon as she found Darby in their typical spot.

Darby came to just below Kat’s collar bone. Her hair was styled in a pompadour and was currently dyed a light blue going on silver. They had met when Darby did her first internship at the capitol and had quickly become the best of friends. “Because I didn’t have time. He came to me first, well maybe he went to Leia’s office first and you know that’s where I’m working now. I was just glad I was able to get out in enough time to meet you. He’s placed a guard outside the office.”

Placing her hands on Darby’s arms. The fear was evident in her eyes as she pleaded with her best friend. “Come back with me. Please, Darbs, if he finds out we’ve been in contact he could kill you.”

Shaking her head, she placed one hand on Kat’s arm and the other held out the envelope that had all the funding she could currently put together. “I’m needed here, Kat. They’re counting on me and I don’t quite trust everyone else to stay true, especially after today. To better help you, it’s best if I stay here.”

“You know sometimes I really hate that we think so similarly,” Kat said as she took the envelope. Darby’s plan was exactly what Kat would have done if the roles had been reversed.

“Good news, there’s a better exit down here now.” The original exit was at the very end of the hall in the opposite direction of where the file room was. She would have had to go past all of the various offices tucked away down in the basement to get out.

Darby showed her and sure enough two doors down was a new exit sign. Kat turned back to look at her friend before pulling her in for a hug. “Please be safe.”

“Always. Now get going before he senses you or something.” She nudged Kat away.

She placed the envelope into a pocket on the inside of her jacket before she ran for the door. Easing it open just as she heard Darby ascend the stairs, Kat did her best to close it right after. Instead, she was swung out with the door as Kylo Ren used the force to keep her from closing it.

“You’re a brunette now.” He said, tone light and nonchalant as if the reason they had been separated wasn’t a war.

Kat slowly let go of the door handle and turned to face him. “And you’re a murderer now.” She copied his tone, noticing that he didn’t have the two bodyguards with him. He was either extremely cocky or incredibly stupid.

“I did what I had to do.”

“Oh, so you just had to kill dad.”

“He’s dad now?” He asked, not keeping the shock hidden.

“He has been for a long time. I was just too late to realize it.” She wasn’t entirely sure why she was honest with him but he was still her brother and it seemed she couldn’t shut him out as she so desperately wanted to do.

“He was never around. They were never around. How could you even think that?” His anger was beginning to simmer under the surface, covering up the guilt that ate him up, especially now looking at his sister.

“The same way I can still call you my brother.” She took a step forward, the door swinging back to close. “Ben, you can stop this. You can atone for what you’ve done and you can come back.”

At this point, they both had tears in their eyes. “I can’t come back from this.”

“Yes, you can. I know you can. Come back with me and we’ll figure it all out.” She held out her hand, hoping he’d take it.

He stared at it for what felt like forever before he shook his head and took a step back. He had broken so many of his promises to her, added his name to the list of people who had left her, and yet here she was trying to bring him back. He was no longer the boy who was just happy to finally have someone else be there for him when his parents weren’t. He was no longer the boy who wanted nothing more than for him and his sister to start their life anew so they could be really happy.

He remembered telling her that. It was before Snoke showed him the truth behind his uncle and the Jedi Order. She and Leia had come to visit and he was doing so well in his studies that he told her about his plan for them. He would be a great Jedi, even better than Luke, and she would be a great senator and they both would do so much better than their family. He only ever wanted the best for her. A part of him still did and maybe there could be a way for that plan to still work. Kat could be his political advisor and then maybe just maybe if Kat was on his side, he’d be able to convince Rey to finally join him.

“Ben…”

“Ben is dead!” He yelled, cutting her off. For the briefest of seconds, she saw a flash of guilt when he watched her step back at him raising his voice. She was tense, ready to fend off an attack and a part of him hated that he made her look at him like that. He didn’t need to scare her if he was going to convince her to join him.

“Snoke is dead, you know. I’ve taken over as Supreme Leader and you could still join me. The Senate is gone. You could rebuild it however you wanted. Let the Resistance die. The galaxy is ours for the taking.” It was his turn to hold out his hand for her to take.

Behind her, one of the Knights of Ren approached. She noticed his eyes flicker to the warrior and in an attempt to keep from getting kidnapped, she smacked his hand away and spun to face the masked warrior, batons gripped in her hand as she fended off their attack. She got in a few good hits of her own, grateful for the combat training she had been helping Rey with since this particular knight was using a staff.

The sound of Kylo Ren’s unstable lightsaber igniting caused Kat to spin back around. There was no way she could fend herself off with this double attack. The saber would cut through her batons easily. But she didn’t have much time to register any more than that before her world turned dark and she crumpled to the ground.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat gets back to base after her unexpected family reunion.

With a groan she slowly opened her eyes, wincing at the pain as she quickly covered her eyes from the bright afternoon sun. She definitely had a concussion. She closed her eyes again, not wanting to deal with it right now as she let her other senses help her out. She felt grass on her skin, she was sore all over but especially her head. She heard the typical rumble of a busy day in the capital and then a realization washed over her. Ben didn’t take her. She was still on Chandrila.

Oh, shit. She was still on Chandrila.

Her eyes popped open despite the pain when she heard rushed footsteps she tried to push herself up but soon hands were on her arms, helping her sit. Darby’s face soon entered her field of vision and she grew worried when she saw two of them. “I think I’m going to be sick,” Kat warned, doing her best to stop the dizziness.

“Not on me you’re not.” She said, maneuvering them so Kat could throw up in the grass beside them, which she did.

“I heard one of Ren’s bodyguards talking about how he was stupid to let someone so high up in the Resistance go. He said that he didn’t think there was anything to worry about so as soon as they left I came to find you.” Darby explained as she checked over Kat’s head for any bleeding that might be occurring. “I also don’t know if you’re in any condition to drive and who knows if your ship is in any driving order.”

Kat wiped her mouth, feeling a little better despite the raging headache that was kicking in. The Knight of Ren must have hit her over the head when she turned to look at Ren. “Just give me a few and it’ll be like I’m driving with a hangover. I’d rather not call my ride, he’s got an in with my mom and I’m sure I’d never be allowed off base again.”

“Ooh, a he, huh?” She teased as she pulled Kat’s hair out of her braid to help relieve some tension.

“Shut up and help me get to my ship.” Kat rolled her eyes, careful of the vomit beside her as she stood.

Darby handed over her sunglasses to a grateful Kat as they started walking. It was more of a hobble at first, with Kat trying to get her balance back in order from the bit of vertigo she was experiencing. “I really think you should get checked out before flying.” Darby voiced her worry.

“If I have driven fine drunk then I can totally do this. I’ll even call you when I get back to base.”

“I don’t think this is the same as driving a speeder on Naboo.” Darby gave Kat a pointed look.

The other woman wasn’t paying any attention. They had reached the lot that Kat had parked in and there was her ship, cut in half by a kriffing lightsaber no doubt. She really was never going to be let off base again. “Is my family garage still in order?”

“Yeah, I think so. Why?”

“Can you take me there?”

“Of course.”

The two friends made their way back to the capital and headed straight for Darby’s speeder. Kat knew that she would need to call into base soon. She was actually surprised the commlink Poe had given her hadn’t started going off yet. She’d call as soon as she knew if the light freighter that Han and Leia kept on hand for whoever didn’t get the Millennium Falcon was still in the garage.

Darby stayed in her speeder and kept watch as Kat keyed in the code to open up the Organa-Solo garage. There, still covered in a sheet, was the light freighter she had heard Han and Leia talk about one night when she was supposed to be asleep. Poking her head back out, she stuck her thumb up, and with one last wave, Darby left.

Pulling the sheet off, Kat smiled when she saw that it still looked like new. She walked around doing a check to see if anything needed any mending from being left untouched for so long but it seemed like luck was back on her side. The lights still stung but she was pushing through. Once on board, she did another walkthrough to check on everything and when all the proper lights flashed and things looked clear, she started all of the preflight protocols.

She brought the entry ramp up and soon she was back in the sky. Just in case Ren waited for her, she took a leisurely path towards an asteroid belt. She fully planned to jump to lightspeed to get back to base as soon as she crossed it. Autopilot set, she finally called Poe. “So, I’m going to be a little late.” She said as soon as he answered.

“No shit. We were starting to worry.”

“I’m also coming back on a different ship. I lost my A-Wing.” Maybe if she slowly worked her way towards the real reason behind all of this she wouldn’t get yelled at as bad.

“Then how, wait did you steal another ship?” Poe had been worried the second she didn’t make her check in to let them know she was on her way back. His emotions were honestly going from one end to the other.

“Not technically.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Well, it’s a family ship, I just don’t know if I’m supposed to know about it.”

Now she just wasn’t making any sense. “I think you’re gonna have to start at the beginning there, Kat. Maybe even with why you didn’t call me sooner?”

She bit her lower lip, preparing herself for the worst. She knew if he had been able to see her face he’d make her say whatever she was stalling for. “Uh, because I was unconscious. Let Kalonia know I need treatment for a concussion, please?”

“Kat, what the hell happened? This was supposed to be an easy run. One you’ve done plenty of times before. Your contact didn’t turn, did they?”

“No!” She was quick to defend Darby. “No, my contact didn’t turn. I just, uh, well, I just…”

“Kat just tell it to me straight.”

“I ran into Ren.” She whispered, ready to hear her own words thrown back at her or even Leia’s voice come through. She didn’t really get either.

“Kriff,” Poe muttered, letting out a heavy sigh. He was relieved that she was coming back to him seemingly with only a concussion. He knew from personal experience a run-in with Kylo Ren could have been so much worse. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, like I said. Just got a concussion. Didn’t even lose what I had come to get. My A-Wing is now cut in half though.”

The pout could be clearly heard in her voice. “There’s another A-Wing here for you except I’m tempted to make sure you stay grounded.”

“You can’t give me orders, commander.”

“Yeah, but I know the general who can.”

“How is she?” She asked, wondering if Leia was just as worried about her as Poe seemed to be.

Poe looked over at Leia who was standing at the command center. “I think she’s worried but hiding it pretty well. You might want to call into base though.”

“See you soon.”

“Yeah, I better. We’re not done talking about this.”

“I’m still in one piece and I’m not going to need a whole bacta suit.”

She struck a nerve, she must have for he didn’t respond right away. She let out a sigh, knowing how she was when he had faced off against Ren. She didn’t have any communication with him though.

“He’s lucky you don’t.” He answered before ending the call.

Well, this was about to be an interesting conversation. She took a deep breath and set the commlink aside so she could use the freighter’s comms system to call to base. “Navy leader to command, do you copy?”

“Kat, where the hell have you been?” Leia’s voice came over the comms.

So she was angry too. Kat wondered if there was a way to sneak by both Leia and Poe to get to the med bay. “Well, I had a bit of an unexpected family reunion.”

“Are you alright?”

“Concussion aside, yes. I also lost the A-Wing but picked up this great light freighter. You’ve been holding out on me.”

“How did you know about that?”

“The walls were really quite thin.” Kat laughed a bit.

Leia let out an exasperated sigh. “Just make it back to base in one piece please.”

The communication ended just as Kat reached the asteroid belt. Making sure she truly hadn’t been followed, she jumped to lightspeed and set the autopilot back on. She really needed to give her eyes a break if the pounding in her head was any indication.

✧☆✧

She landed some hours later and she was barely off her ship when she had an arm full of Rose. “I was so worried about you.” The mechanic said.

Kat returned the hug, relief flooding through her not only because she was back on base but because Rose gave her an excuse to close her eyes. Was it always this bright?

“Rose, she’s gotta breathe,” Finn said with a chuckle.

“No, she doesn’t.” She argued, tightening her grip.

Laughing, Kat slowly opened her eyes and just behind Finn’s shoulder, she saw Poe and Leia looming. “It’s fine, really. Anything to keep those two at bay for a little while longer.” She motioned behind Finn.

He turned around to see who she was talking about even if he really didn’t need the confirmation on who it was. “Yeah, they’re not too thrilled you had a run-in with Ren.”

“I can see that. How comfortable are you two with making them mad?”

Rose and Finn looked at each other before looking back at Kat. “Sorry, you’re on your own with those two,” Rose said, letting Kat go.

As the two walked away, Kat whispered, “traitors,” which caused them both to laugh.

Leia approached her first and after the two hugged, the older woman began leading her daughter towards the med bay; Poe trailing behind. “Are you really alright?” She asked.

“Yes, mom. The conversation even went the same as it always did. Me trying to bring him back. Him trying to recruit me. Things would have been fine if a Knight of Ren hadn’t shown up. That’s who hit me in the head.” She would leave out that he had ignited his saber for now or she was sure she would be put into some sort of lockdown. “He was shocked I wasn’t blonde.” She laughed a bit.

“Now is not a laughing matter, Katerina.”

Kat rolled her eyes as she sat on the exam table. Leia stood at the end while Kalonia stepped up and Poe lingered at the door, waiting for his turn. “This isn’t even the worst injury I’ve had, especially when it comes to his involvement.” She then gave a pointed look at Poe. “And don’t go getting all in a tizzy either. We were kids, I fell out of a tree and broke my arm.”

“Oh, so you fell now?” Leia asked, raising an eyebrow.

“You and I both know that I lied about him pushing me. He was trying to get me to stop from going any higher.”

Leia laughed, shaking her head.

“Now is not a laughing matter, mom.” Kat threw the other woman’s words right back at her.

“Seems like you’ll survive. We’re debriefing in an hour.” She gave Kat a pointed look before leaving the exam room, patting Poe’s shoulder on the way out.

Kalonia continued with her exams, soon telling her she’ll be back to get a few head scans to be sure nothing else was wrong, and then it was only her and Poe. He made his way into the room once Kalonia left but still kept his distance.

“I’m not going to break if you get too close, you know. I told you I was fine.” She looked to him, slightly exasperated. Was she this bad when those under her watch returned injured?

“Did you see him before you met with your contact?”

That was not a question she was expecting coming from him. She could lie, make this go by quicker so they can just get over this. But he seemed to have joined the ranks of people she couldn’t hide from anymore. “Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you call me?!”

“And let him get his hands on you again?! Not a chance! The one promise that he has never broken was his promise to protect me. Well, and him still trying to get me to join him but that’s beside the point. If you had been there while he was still around you would have been captured yet again and used to get me to join. I’m not putting you into that kind of danger willingly.”

“And what if he had taken you instead of leaving you there?”

“I would have made my way back.”

“And what if he had killed you?”

Kat growled in frustration. “Poe! Stop with the what-ifs! I’m here. I’m fine. There’s no need for them.”

They stared at each other for a long moment. Kat was indeed here and she was yelling at him. That should give him some sort of comfort but he needed to know the extent of the concussion and if she really was as uninjured as she looked. He finally closed the distance between them, standing in between her legs that dangled off the edge of the exam table. Bringing his hands up, he did his own examination. Fingers diving into brown locks that she was pretty sure she needed to touch up soon as he felt around for anything that he could use to make Kalonia make her stay in the med bay for longer than necessary just like she did to him.

Kat winced when his fingers moved over a particularly tender spot on the back of her head. “Sorry.” He muttered, removing his fingers and smoothing out her hair, making sure to be extra gentle around that area. He let out a small sigh as he ran his hands down her arms, taking her hands in his. “I can’t add you to my list.” He looked into her eyes and she could see all of the pain from the loss he had suffered and the fear that she would be next.

It was the same feeling she had about him. “I can’t add you to mine either.”

And in that moment, the rest of her walls came down and she was just about to kiss him when Kalonia came back in, announcing that they were ready for her scans. Poe jumped back, startled, and at the sound of the doctor’s laugh, they blushed. “If you’ll wait here, Commander Dameron, she could use an escort to General Organa’s office.” The doctor suggested.

Poe nodded his consent and then off Kat went to get the scans she needed.

The moment she returned, Poe pulled her into a bone-crunching hug. He hadn’t been able to hold her in his arms just yet and the few minutes that she had been gone, he had begun to question if she had really come back. Kat slid her arms around his waist since she couldn’t really move them much farther with how tight he was holding her and tucked her face into his neck. “I’m safe. I’m here. I’m okay.”

“I thought I was the one that was supposed to go off the plan.” He finally said.

“Yeah, I’d really rather you not do that either.”

“You’re taking BB-8 the next time you go solo.”

Kat laughed. “I don’t think Leia will let me do that for a long time.”

“I’m okay with that too.” He pressed a kiss to her hair before leading her to Leia’s room. “What’d Dr. Kalonia say?”

“The scans look okay. Some bruising but overall good. I’m not to do anything that could make it worse so I’m stuck behind my command center until it heals really. She also gave me something for my headache but would leave the rest of the medicine in my room. And she’s pleased that I haven’t fallen back asleep but she still wants me to stay with Leia tonight just in case.”

Poe nodded. “Well, if you need anything…”

“I know.” She cut him off with a small smile.

He knew he promised he wouldn’t push her into anything she didn’t want but he nearly lost her and he couldn’t not let her know how he felt. They were never guaranteed a tomorrow especially while they were fighting a war. “Kat, I…”

“Poe,” she cut him off, again. He really wished she would stop doing that. “I’ve had a bit of a day and I’m about to go rehash it with one of the only other people I can cry in front of. I know that you and I need to talk but I can’t just yet. I’m still keeping my promise. I just needed you to know.” Need you to know that running into Kylo Ren today just reminded me of my fear of if I let you in then the universe is going to take one of us away.

Or at least that’s what she repeated to herself when she was separated from him during her scans. It’s not the right time. It’s not the right time. It’s not the right time.

He let out a small sigh but nodded. He understood, of course, he did. He just hoped that their confessions wouldn’t come with a death bed. “I can wait.” He promised as he caressed her cheek. The smile she gave him spoke volumes and he made a mental note to reach out to his contact that was looking into an old rebel base to see if there were any functioning A-Wings.

Poe left her with a lingering kiss on her forehead. Kat watched as he exited the cave, taking a deep breath before going to face her mom. There would be no doors or walls to give them any privacy as they spoke about her run-in with Kylo Ren. She was sure that Leia had told everyone to stay away unless they were needed for an emergency but she wanted a more enclosed space so no one would see the emotional mess she was sure to become. Why couldn’t they do it in her office? This felt far too personal for a debriefing. Then again the mission turned far too personal the moment she had been caught.

“Rose should be able to get whatever parts she needs.” She said as she pulled the envelope from her jacket, tossing it on Leia’s bed.

“I’m glad you were able to keep a hold on it.” Leia nodded, moving the envelope to the small side table, and patted the now empty space next to her.

Kat let out a sigh and sat down. “He wasn’t after that.”

“Then what was he after?”

She just gave Leia a pointed look. “What is he always after when we cross paths?”

“He still hasn’t figured out how to convince you then.”

“You really think I would actually join him?”

Leia shrugged at Kat’s incredulous look. “They have better food. That is why you stick around here isn’t it?”

Kat playfully shoved at Leia as the two women laughed at her horrible joke. “Yeah, that’s definitely the reason I joined up, the food.”

After their laughter died down, Leia took Kat’s hand and gave it a small squeeze. “How’s Darby?”

“Oh, Darby’s great. She’s kicking ass, taking names. I hope she joins in the rebuilding efforts after all of this is done.” Kat smiled.

“I’m sure she will.” Leia’s matching smile turned serious. “Now, tell me what happened.”

Kat sighed and laid back, an arm thrown over her eyes. The medicine Kalonia had given her was helping but she didn’t want to really look at Leia while she retold the events of her unplanned reunion. “I saw him before I even met Darbs. They were walking down the main hallway so I ran to the drop site, hoping he didn’t see me or feel me in the force. I opened the door to start making my way back and there he was and there I went as I held onto the door handle while he swung it open. I was trying to fight the pull and close the door back like an idiot. Talked about dad, tried to get him to come with me, and then he tried to get me to come with him. But then one of his knights showed up and I fought them until I heard him ignite his saber but before I could even see what his intentions were I was knocked unconscious and apparently he left me behind. Darby found me then we found out he had cut my A-Wing in half and then I took the light freighter you and dad were supposedly waiting on giving to one of us when the other got the Falcon.”

“He drew his saber on you?” Her voice was filled with anger and worry, the exact reasons she had kept that little tidbit away from her when she first landed.

Kat nodded, lowering her arm away from her face. “You know at first I was scared he did it because I rejected him again and that was going to be it but what if he did it to distract me so I could be left behind without him having to show weakness or identify who I was? I mean he was shocked that I was brunette.” Which now that she thought about it, he would have known that ahead of time because of their run in on Coruscant. Or maybe it was more so hiding the fact that they were siblings since the Knights knew of her significance in the Resistance.

Leia just looked at her with a raised eyebrow.

“I don’t know! He’s confusing the hell out of me. And I mean Rey said she still saw light in him. Isn’t that what we were hoping for before he killed dad? Not to mention he told me that Snoke was dead and that he’s the Supreme Leader now so even if we didn’t already know that from Rey he was willing to give me information unprompted. I mean if anything this is your fault. You told me to open up more and now I’m starting to question everything with him instead of shutting it all out like I want to.”

She let out a sigh as she sat back up, putting her head in her hands. “I just want my brother back and for this all to be over.”

Leia pulled her daughter into her arms, just holding her. Soon sniffles were heard and she just held Kat closer. “He really scared me today,” Kat confessed. “There were times where I was talking to him and I was so sure my brother was still there but other times it felt like what he told me was true. That Ben was dead.”

“Well, I’m certainly not thrilled that you had a lightsaber drawn on you but this may just mean that Ben is still in there.”

“Guess I’ll keep fighting to bring him home then.” Kat sighed. “Gotta take down the First Order first, cause regardless they have got to go.”

Leia smiled. “That’s my girl.”

They stayed in each other's arms, just soaking in being there with each other. Sounds from the base and the lively moon filtered into the cave but both of them remained silent. They could have lost each other. During the radio silence from Kat, Leia had even begun to fear the worst despite not having felt her daughter leave from the Force. The moment after Kat didn’t call to check in, Leia had taken over control of the command center, giving sharp orders on how to find out what happened and where Kat was. She should probably go apologize to that crew, have Dameron do the same because he was just as bad.

His pacing hadn’t been helping and she had ordered him to take a lap. When he had come back running over, she feared the worst but got the best. Kat was coming back. She had a run-in with her brother and somehow managed to know about a light freighter she wasn’t supposed to know about. Then again she always seemed to know information she wasn’t supposed to, always revealing it when it was useful. She had really missed that skill set when Kat had gone off to Naboo. Darby had made a good replacement though.

“So,” Kat spoke up as she pulled back, “how long are you gonna keep me on base?”

Leia sighed. She wanted to say until this war ended. The loss of Han still weighed heavily on her and even just the thought that she had lost Kat, she hadn’t been sure what her future looked like. There was only so much loss she could bear and she had born quite a lot in her lifetime. But that wasn’t possible. Their numbers were low and Kat was one of the best agents she had. “Only until Kalonia clears you for battle.”

Kat looked at her in shock, she had expected a longer time.

“Oh, don’t look at me like that. It’s the choice as your general I need to make, not your mother.”

It was three weeks before Kat was cleared and flying off for the next mission.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A trip to Yavin 4 finally allows for a much needed conversation to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: It's the chapter you've all been waiting for! Thank you all for the love that you've shown this story. It is truly appreciated. Happy reading!

This time Kat wasn’t alone when she flew off Ajan Kloss. Poe sat beside her in the co-pilot seat of the light freighter she had taken from Chandrila. They had fought about that. Despite them heading towards Yavin IV and having a small crew in the main hub of the ship, Kat claimed the ship as hers so, therefore, was to be the pilot.

Even though she had a clean bill of health, Poe wanted to be the one to do all the heavy lifting. She wasn’t going to let that happen. While she had been grounded he had been the one to go meet with Ruby and Maz. He even brought the latter woman back to Ajan Kloss with him. Now that she was cleared, she was ready to get back in the action.

With the help of his father and a few other retired Rebels, they were able to find some more ships to build up the Resistance fleet and Kes had even said that some people were wanting to join. The old base had even been cleaned up for the small crew Kat and Poe were bringing along. Their return to Ajan Kloss would be drawn out, not wanting to bring any attention to themselves. They would go back in pairs, hoping that with however many people were joining them from Yavin that they would still be able to do just that, with Kat and Poe going back last.

Kat certainly wasn’t expecting a welcoming committee when they landed but it seemed like Poe had. Chuckling, he shook his head as he helped with shutting everything down. “Oh, dad.” He muttered as he stood. The older man stood at the front of the group, grinning, as he waved.

“C’mon, I guarantee you there’s a whole buffet waiting for us.” He held out his hand for her to take like it was natural. And really it started to be.

They hadn’t talked yet, well not about what had been brewing between them since they got back from Coruscant, but in those three weeks Kat was grounded, a pool had started unbeknownst to them because of how together they acted. All of their friends were in on it, some having to keep changing their bet because nothing was happening between the two. Rose and Snap seemed to be the only ones who held steady with their original bet. Knowing what she knew about the last mission the two had gone on, Rose had bet something would happen this time. She was so sure she even started talking a little trash as the light freighter took off. Snap however seemed certain that nothing was going to happen until after the war was over.

Raising an eyebrow, Kat silently questioned him. They weren’t alone and they were about to greet his father. Instead, he just gave her an expectant look and pushed his hand forward. Kat sighed, taking it and he helped her up. “So stubborn.” He muttered as they made their way to the main hub.

“Look who’s talking.” She replied which just earned her his signature grin.

Just before they entered the hub, Poe squeezed her hand before letting go. The small crew already filed out with Poe and Kat bringing up the rear. Kes Dameron parted the sea of people and headed straight for his son. Both men grinned from ear to ear as they held each other tight with plenty of hearty back slaps.

Kat smiled at the scene, letting them have their moment as she began to push her crew members to introduce themselves to the ones who were waiting to greet them, thank them even for their help. It seemed like both sides had been waiting for instructions from their respective leaders or maybe they were too caught up in the father and son reunion.

Poe noticed how she herded their group before introducing herself to who he assumed was acting second in command since from how Kes put it, he had been leading the whole clean up effort. Chuckling, he pulled away from his dad and Kes immediately turned to find exactly what his son was looking at. “ _Entonces esa es la mujer que te ha robado el corazón._ ” Kes phrased his question more like a statement.

“Papá,” Poe rolled his eyes at his father who thought he was being sly by using their first language to call Kat the woman who had stolen his heart.

“I can see why,” Kes smirked, switching back to basic.

“Would you like to go meet her?” Not even five minutes in and he was already over his father’s antics and the older man hadn’t even done all that much.

Kes just smiled. “I thought you’d never ask.”

Both Dameron men made their way over to where Kat stood talking over the semantics of how the week was going to work. Poe did his best not to roll his eyes, the woman never stopped working. When they both arrived, Kes’ second in command excused themselves and soon Kat was wrapped up into a Kes Dameron hug. She eventually returned it after her shock wore off, all the while Poe gave her an apologetic look, mouthing sorry to her.

“It’s nice to finally meet you, Kat. I’ve heard a lot about you.” Kes said as he pulled back.

Kat did her best not to grimace. “What’s your source?”

“My son, of course.” Kes chuckled.

Hearing that, Kat lightened up a bit. “I’m not so sure that’s a good thing either.” She joked.

That made Kes laugh as he ushered her towards the temple they had set up dinner. “Oh, I think I’m going to like you.”

Poe couldn’t help the grin as he followed behind them.

There was a long table set up in the middle of the floor, food piled along the middle. It was enough to feed an entire army and they maybe had a quarter of one. Kat honestly couldn’t remember the last time she had eaten like this. Even with taking only what she knew, her plate was pretty full so when Poe sat down with two plates, setting one in between them, she looked over at him questioningly. “My dad thinks you didn’t get enough. So I made a plate with things I thought you’d like to try. You’ll wind up eating part of mine anyway.” He smirked.

He and Kes wound up having a heated, hushed discussion in their native language over how much food Kat had. Kes wanted to make sure she and Poe both had plenty to eat, using the age-old line of them both looking too skinny. Poe argued that he already put enough on his plate for two people, knowing they both tended to share. Kes clearly won the argument.

“That one is on you. You always slide your tray over.” Kat pointed her fork at him, which was filled with her latest bite of casserole.

“Well, yeah,” he leaned over and took the bite, chewing a bit smugly at her shocked expression. “Someone,” he continued after swallowing, “has to look out for you. You hardly eat when you’re stressed.”

Her expression turned from shock to awe. She didn’t think anyone noticed, especially since Leia made sure she always had something small to eat. But apparently, Poe did. At the expression on her face, he just smiled before tucking into his food.

Chatter and laughter filled the old temple as the old crew bonded with the new additions to their fleet. Kat hadn’t seen them so at ease in a long time. Even in the mess hall back on Ajan Kloss, there was still tension in their shoulders even when the conversations flowed easily.

One of the things Poe had brought for her to try was a dessert made with koyo. All it took was one bite before she moved the rest of it to her plate. Poe tried to get a bite, just to mess with her, knowing full well Kat didn’t share her sweets all too well, but each time he tried his spoon was blocked with hers. “You can get your own because I don’t trust you to leave this with you.” Kat finally said after the third time.

Poe laughed, fully aware that his father was watching them. Knowing Kes he’d probably say something when Kat was out of earshot or maybe he’d share the embarrassment with them both. “Alright, fine. See if I share any more food with you.” He said as he stood to get him his own slice of dessert.

Kat watched as he left and when he was far enough away, she took her fork and took a little bit from Poe’s main dish leftover on his plate. Kes of course saw everything and when the two locked eyes, Kat held a finger up to her mouth with a pleading look. When Kes nodded, she quickly ate the bite she had stolen. She was chewing happily when Poe returned.

“She stole something off my plate, didn’t she?” He asked Kes.

True to his word, Kes shrugged. “I didn’t see anything.”

Kat did her best to look the picture of innocence but there was something a little too smug in her expression to have Poe know that she most definitely was hiding something. Chuckling, he shook his head. “You two just met and you’re already ganging up on me. Was it good, whatever you took?” He turned to look at Kat, eyebrow raised.

No longer able to keep up the ruse, she just smiled and nodded. “Yup.”

After dinner, Kes showed them the hangar that was filled with the ships they fixed up. There were mostly X-Wings with a few Y-Wings thrown in here and there. Enough to get the crew of eight back to the Resistance base.

As the crew laid claim to their ships, Poe took Kat’s hand and pulled her to another part of the hangar. “What are you doing?” She asked him.

“I have a surprise for you.” He grinned, only letting go when they reached the covered ship. Once the cover was removed, he turned to look at Kat. He wasn't quite sure why she loved the A-Wing so much but it seemed to be her preferred starfighter. She had been pretty upset when she had lost the one she took to Chandrila. Maybe it's what she learned to fly with since R2-D2 had been down for the count until recently and she didn't want another astromech droid. Then again he didn't know a whole lot about her time in the Naboo riots either.

Kat was utterly speechless. It was an A-Wing. Sure it was the RZ-1 model but that's what she used before the upgrade. Not to mention it looked like it had a custom paint job. The typical white panels were painted a deep navy blue while the typical red stripe was white. "You did this?"

“Well, not me specifically but I made the request. This is Navy One and should only be flown by Colonel Metonae.”

His arms were soon filled with Kat as she hugged him to express her gratitude. “It looks amazing! I can’t believe you did this. Thank you!” She pulled back just enough and placed a kiss on his lips.

When she realized what she had just done, she pulled back before Poe could even reciprocate. Her eyes were wide as a blush covered her cheeks. “I’m so sorry.” She said as she tried to pull away. They hadn’t talked yet and here she was kissing him because he just kept surprising her.

He kept her close, however. “I’m not.” His voice was low and her eyes dropped to his lips. “Can I kiss you?” He asked her, bringing up a hand to cup her cheek.

“Yes.” She breathed out. She wanted to feel those soft lips actually pressed against hers. With them being similar enough in height neither of them had to stretch. His hand on her waist was warm and she wished she could feel it on her skin. Her fingers itched to tangle in his curls and she wondered how she had managed to go all this time without giving in.

“I thought you guys would be back here. She turned out to be a real beauty, didn’t she?” Kes asked before he realized what he had just interrupted.

Poe was just about to claim her lips when his father came barrelling into the section of the hangar they were in. Groaning softly, he let Kat go as she jumped away from him at the sound of Kes’ voice. He sent his father a murderous stare while Kat tried to get herself together, looking back at the ship. Kes at least had the decency to look apologetic.

“She really is. Thanks for doing this. I really appreciate it.” A smile crossed her features when she turned back to look at the older Dameron.

“May I ask the significance?” The A-Wing had been Shara’s starfighter of choice too. Poe even learned how to fly in one. So the fact that he had found someone who loved the A-Wing just as much didn’t seem like a coincidence to Kes, it seemed more like fate. He’d have to make a special call to an old friend who seemingly liked to play matchmaker while running the Resistance.

Kat nodded. “The third riot on Naboo went airborne. So I hopped into one of these things and fell in love. It was just me and the ship. I had a small transporter that I flew from Chandrila to Naboo and I learned how to fly on the Falcon but once I really got going and settled in the thrill of it was amazing. I always get excited when I get to fly but it’s like when I get on the Falcon, I know I’m gonna be alright once I get in that cockpit.” A small smile graced her features as she turned back to look at her custom A-Wing, completely unaware of Poe looking at her with an expression that just screamed I love you.

Kes smiled. Maybe he wouldn’t have to worry about his son after all. “I would say you could take it for a test drive but I’ve sent everyone else to bed so let’s go. We have a bit of a further hike.”

“What do you mean?” Kat asked.

“You and Poe will be staying with me of course.”

“Oh, no. I couldn’t impose. I’ll be fine here.”

“You’re not imposing,” Poe said as he took her hand, tugging her with him as they followed a smirking Kes out of the hangar.

“Are you sure?” She asked.

“Yes.” Both men said and she didn’t fight it anymore.

As they walked through the jungle to get to the Dameron household, Kes talked but Kat didn’t grasp a single word he said. He could be explaining how stars were created for all she knew. Poe kept his hand in hers and his thumb was very distracting with how it caressed her skin. They really needed to talk.

To try and get him back for being so distracting, she brought her other arm up and placed her hand on his bicep. She gave it a small squeeze and she smiled as the muscle contracted at her touch.

By the time they reached his childhood home, he wanted to offer up the full tour, including his old hideout so he could kiss her senseless like he’s been wanting to for a while now. She seemed none the wiser but then again maybe the periodic squeezes she placed to his arm was her way of saying I want to do the same. They really needed to talk.

He supposed the murderous stare he had given his father earlier worked because as soon as Kes had finished a quick tour around the house, he wished the two goodnight. Now that they were alone, neither of them knew what to do. They both stood staring at each other in the middle of the living room, trying to figure out what to say.

“I guess I’ll…”

“Do you want…”

They started at the same time which made them laugh. Before Poe could insist on her going first, Kat spoke up. She was a coward when it came to her emotions so she had been fully planning on running so if Poe had something to say, she’d actually take his lead this time. “You go first.”

“It was nothing important. I was just going to ask if you wanted some tea?”

She smiled. “Tea sounds lovely.”

He motioned for her to follow him into the kitchen. Pulling out a chair at the small kitchen table, he motioned for her to sit and then started moving about to make tea. “What were you going to say?”

Kat waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. Your plan’s better.”

“Were you going to ignore things if I hadn’t suggested this?” He asked quietly as he waited for the water to heat up.

Her cheeks flushed, looking down at her hands. She honestly shouldn’t be surprised at how well he seemed to know her. He had made it clear that he had been paying attention and that she had let him in more than she thought. "Yes."

Gripping the counter, Poe lowered his head for a moment before turning around to face her. "Are you still scared of me?" He asked even though her answer to his previous question clearly told him that she was.

"I was never afraid of you, just what this could mean." She motioned between the both of them. Before he could even speak, she continued. "Poe, all of those who I care about greatly either wind up getting hurt or hurt me. I know I can survive if either one of those scenarios happened to you because I'm a survivor, hell, look at Jakku but if you don't come back or if you decide that I'm not worth your time anymore it's going to be really kriffing hard to survive that. And how am I supposed to lead you and the other pilots if I'm trying to make sure you come back to me? I mean it caused a huge argument the last time I even tried anything."

"You care about me?" He smirked at her.

"All of that and that's all you focus on?"

"That's all that matters." He said as he set about making tea.

When she tried to argue, he held up a hand. "Just because the tea interrupted does not mean that I was done." Setting each cup down on the table, Poe took Kat’s hands in his. "I know that you have suffered enough hurt that other people would lock themselves away. Yet here you sit, trying to not only live past it but while fighting for what is right which brings on a whole new kind of loss. You carry the weight of those losses on top of the weight of the galaxy on your shoulders. After we win, what are you going to have? You have to stop using those past betrayals and deaths as an excuse for keeping people at arm's length. In case you haven't noticed, I keep coming back to you and I always will."

"How can you make a promise like that?" She was going to fight until the very end to keep her heart protected but he was making it oh, so hard to keep going.

A small smile graced his features as he motioned towards an old photo of his parents in their battle gear from the Galactic Civil War. "Because I know it's doable. My dad was even more on the ground than you are. My mom was in the air as much if not more than I am. They always came back to each other and I'm sure there were arguments similar to ours too."

Kat looked over the photo, letting Poe's words truly wash over her. He was right. She even had her own example in Han and Leia. Leia had lost everything and still, she managed to open her heart and find love. "You promise you'll always come back to me?" She asked looking back at him. She was finally ending her internal battle and giving in to what her heart wanted.

"I promise."

She surged forward the moment those two words were out of his mouth. Her hands were placed on either side of his face as she captured his lips with hers. His hands immediately went to her hips and he pulled her down to his lap. She soon realized that no matter how good her imagination was, it could never create the feeling of finally coming together, of finally stopping the internal conflict that constantly happened inside of her whenever he was around, the feeling of completion she felt. She had told him back on Coruscant that she was right where she needed to be and she couldn't help but recall those words in this moment. Somehow he had worked his way in and now she knew for a fact that it would always be him, was always supposed to be him. Poe Dameron had her heart and it was his forever.

He was the one to deepen the kiss. As her hands slid into his hair, he wrapped an arm around her as he brought a hand to cup her jaw. He was finally kissing her, finally knocked down those walls she had built over years of protecting herself. It was honestly worth every argument in the beginning, every second getting to know her past the stoic colonel that led the Resistance Navy, and every moment he either stole or created to show her that he was in this for the long run. Because he was. After they won, he wanted her in his life every single day. He knew they would have a lot to do with the rebuilding but as long as they were together he didn't think he'd mind going from soldier to potential diplomat.

When his hand slid under her shirt, she thought she'd cry just from finally feeling his skin on hers. Arching into his touch, she pulled away to try and catch her breath. His attention immediately went to her neck. She let out a pleasant sigh and when he reached that particular spot, she had to bite her lip to make sure that the moan that escaped was quiet. Waking Kes up now would be the worst timing and then things clicked. They were in Poe's childhood kitchen with his father just up the stairs.

Instead of tugging at his strands to keep him in place, she was tugging to pull him away. "Poe. Poe, wait…" She finally managed to get him to stop. She was sure his disappointed look was mirrored with her expression. "Your dad is just upstairs. We should probably stop before he walks in on something he shouldn't see."

Poe groaned and dropped his head to her chest. "I hate when you're right." He said even as he began to caress the skin of her lower back.

"I mean we've waited this long, right?"

"Yeah," he looked up at her with a slight pout, "I was just hoping that this meant the waiting was over."

Kat chuckled before leaning over to kiss him because she didn't have to think about it anymore. "We have a whole ride back to Ajan Kloss to make up for lost time."

Grinning he gave her another kiss that was filled with promises before he reluctantly let her go. "I like the way you think."

After they rinsed out their cups of the now cold tea, they made their way up the stairs hand in hand, both having ridiculous smiles on their faces. Kat turned to face him once they reached the doorway of the guest bedroom. She was posed to tell him goodnight when he tugged her forward and kissed her in a way that if she didn’t have complete self-control, she would have tugged him into her room to have her way with him. When he pulled away, they were both utterly breathless. He looked at her as if he wanted to devour her, and her expression probably mirrored it. Instead, she took a step into the room and wished him goodnight. 

✧☆✧

They didn’t wait until the end of the week. After they had sent off the first team, Kat had made her way to the light freighter to see if it had a tractor beam so they could pull her A-Wing. To her disappointment, it didn’t. Poe soon came in with a solution that had them stumbling to the captain’s quarters, a trail of clothes in their wake.

That’s how it was for the rest of the week. They’d send off a team and then make up some excuse as to why they needed to go on the freighter. A couple of hours later, they’d return and go about business as usual. That is until their last day before leaving.

Kat was nearly asleep with how Poe was running his fingers through her hair. Her head rested on his chest, their legs tangled together under the covers that pooled around their hips. “We’re going to have to get creative when we get back on base.” He whispered against her hair.

“I believe the word you’re looking for is careful.” She said.

Poe forced himself to chuckle and to keep his tone light and teasing when he said, “Like they’re not going to know the second we step foot on base.” Hearing her mention being careful, made him nervous that she was about to suggest that they keep their latest development a secret.

“Oh, I’m not worried about that. There’s just more people. We can’t exactly go hide away in a ship for a few hours without someone needing one of us.”

At her words, he let out a soft sigh of relief. “Then like I said, we’re going to have to get creative.”

She rolled her eyes before looking up at him. Bringing her hand up to caress his cheek, she placed a kiss to his lips. “I’m in this now. Fully, completely. I’m not going to run anymore.”

He smiled at her words, grateful for her reassurance without having to ask. He leaned down and captured her lips with his, pouring out the emotions he felt but wasn’t ready to say. He thought that anyone who wouldn’t wait for Kat was foolish. He even knew how uncharacteristically patient he was being when it came to the woman in his arms. But he knew that fear, understood it better than anyone who could have tried to pull her away from him. The fact that he was able to find a deeper connection with someone else twice in the middle of the same war made him feel incredibly lucky. He didn’t want to take this for granted and he certainly was going to cherish every second he had with her.

It was with that thought that he pulled her close and convinced her to stay in their little bubble for a bit longer.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat and Poe return to Ajan Kloss.

Laughter filled the hangar as Kat tried to get Poe to go back down the ladder so they could head back to base. She already said goodbye to Kes, fully prepared for his hug this go around. He thanked her for taking care of his boy which she waved off with a cheeky comment about how he made it difficult but she was happy to do it. He gave her a knowing look, one only a father could give to the person who had taken their child’s heart before he wished her farewell and how he hoped to see her again.

“Will you go already?” Kat laughed after the third time she and Poe had shared a kiss.

“You sure you’re good with everything?”

Kat rolled her eyes. “Everything’s fine. Perfect even. Now, will you go so I can start her up?”

“Okay, okay, I’m gone.” But before he could get down the ladder, she pulled him back for a kiss. When he pulled away, he gave her a smug look, keeping it there the entire time he climbed down.

“Get that smug look off your face, Dameron!” She shouted before the transparisteel canopy closed over her.

It didn’t leave his face until he hugged Kes goodbye.

“She’s a good one. Shara would have really liked her.” Kes told him as they hugged.

At the mention of his mother, the weight of her ring around his neck felt a little more prominent. “Is this where I get the don’t mess this up, I’m still waiting on grandkids speech?” He asked with a chuckle as he pulled back.

Kes laughed, shaking his head. “Think you just did a fine job of it yourself.”

Poe turned back to look at her when the roar of the engines started. He could see her smiling at the sound which made his heart soar. He got to put that smile there. Matter of fact it seemed like she was smiling more or was it that he was just noticing each thing she did no matter how small? “Yeah, she’s pretty amazing.” He agreed before turning back to his dad. “But I can’t make any promises about that other thing.”

Once more his father’s booming laugh competed with the roar of the A-Wing engines. “You two be safe and I’ll see you soon.”

Father and son shared one last hug before the two pilots took off for Ajan Kloss.

✧☆✧

Kat took her time with the landing procedures. The fighter had flown like a dream. She may have shown off a little before they had jumped to lightspeed but she didn’t care. She was like a child with a new toy and she wanted to test everything. With everything in order, she made her way down the ladder and soon felt two hands on her waist.

“Have fun?” He teased her once her feet were on the ground, keeping one arm around her.

“Like I said earlier. I was just seeing what she could do.” When she had turned into him, she placed a hand on his arm that was holding her.

“Uh-huh, sure you were.” He teased her as he leaned forward to kiss her. It really had been far too long since the last one.

“I knew it!” Rang out through the space, causing the two to jump apart. They were now face to face with a beaming Rose. “What’d I’d say? The last time they went on a mission together they came back hugging. Now, look at them.”

Soon a flurry of hands went about giving Rose a few credits each much to the chagrin of Kat and Poe. “What just happened?” Kat finally asked.

Rose just smiled at her. “You two just won me 150 credits.”

Kat looked to Poe incredulously. “Did you know they had a bet about us?”

He just shook his head. “Not a clue.” He laughed.

“Wait, how together, together are you?” Snap asked.

Poe just smirked at his best friend before leading Kat away from the group in search of Leia. They had to debrief after all. He couldn’t help but laugh at the groan he heard from his friend. Kat soon joined in, shaking her head. “Our friends are something else.”

“That they are.”

The moment they walked into Leia’s room, she gave the two of them a knowing look. They had moved from walking with an arm around each other to holding hands but it still seemed like they were wearing a large sign that announced that they had finally crossed the line. “Is it that obvious?” Kat asked as she sat down across from Leia’s desk.

The older woman just smirked. “Well, that and the fact that Rose’s voice could be heard from all over.”

Kat rolled her eyes as Poe just chuckled. Neither of them was ashamed and knew it was coming but even with that knowledge, the reality was a little different. “Well, we have a bigger fleet now and a few more members. We heard that they’ve started to invade worlds. Are we going to offer up any sort of aid?” Kat asked, nervous to know the answer. Ben had been on Chandrila looking for answers but if Palpatine was still somehow putting messages out into the galaxy, she wasn’t sure how he was reacting.

Leia sadly shook her head. “We can barely keep afloat as is but we have certainly not let them give up hope. We will get to them as soon as we can.”

“We also heard that Palpatine’s still sending out his message. Do we know how the First Order is responding to them?” Poe asked.

“They’re searching for their origins as we are but in their own way. It seems as though Kylo and the Knights of Ren are making their rounds. They’ve become more violent than what we saw on Chandrila. They just left Naboo.” Leia informed them.

Kat froze. She still had friends on the planet and if they had been hurt. Poe took her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. Sure they had admitted to wanting more with each other but he still didn’t know everything about the woman sitting next to him. Leia gave a reassuring smile. “Your contact was the one to inform us.”

“Wes is okay?” Kat still asked despite her mother’s reassurance.

“He’s fine,” Leia confirmed.

“Wes?” Poe asked. He remembered hearing the name in passing. He was pretty sure it was in regards to one of Kat’s early missions back on D’Qar when she was the one sent out to try and get resources.

“Wes Trelli, my contact on Naboo. We fought in the riots together and is gonna be a hell of a senator once we get that backup and running. He’s been helping us with funds but doing so without me having to go and get them myself since the last time I went didn’t exactly go well.” She answered.

He was trying to remember the last time she had gone to Naboo and then he remembered. It was the week she had returned and was more pissed than usual after having been off base for a bit. “Oh yeah, the week you yelled at me for every little thing.”

“You were exceptionally annoying and I’m pretty sure you did most of it on purpose.” She was most definitely not apologizing for that week.

“Near the end of the week, I kind of was.” He smirked at her.

Kat motioned towards Poe as she looked at Leia in an I told you manner. “And you told me that I was just reading into things.”

“I mean, you did make it easier to push your buttons that week.” Poe chuckled.

Rolling her eyes, she let out a small huff as she sat back in her chair. “What have I agreed to?”

“Me constantly keeping you on your toes.” He grinned before kissing her cheek.

“Alright you two, get back to work.” Leia dismissed them, a fond look on her face. She could just hear Han grumbling about how she let their daughter get involved with a pilot all the while being happy that Kat finally let herself love. “Oh, and Kat, dear, Rey wanted to see you as soon as you got back. I think she was either in her library or running the course the last I saw her.”

Kat nodded, going over to kiss Leia on the cheek before making her way out onto the base to go find Rey. Before she could start down the path towards the training course, Poe kissed her.

“Since I didn’t get one before you left.” He gave her a cheeky grin.

“Are you always going to be this insufferable?” She asked with an arched brow.

“Always.” He grinned before heading out to find their friends to see what they were working on.

She was greeted with a string of beeps from BB-8 at the end of the training course. The astromech droid had really taken to Rey after she had saved him on Jakku. Whenever he wasn’t around Poe or even Kat, BB-8 could be found with the young Jedi. Kat crouched down and hugged the droid. “Hey buddy, we missed you too. He was headed to the hangar last I saw him.”

“Because I asked to see her.” Rey was the one to answer the droid’s last question.

The droid looked between the two women let out a farewell beep and then rolled off to go find Poe. They could look out for each other and the pilot wouldn’t be upset that the droid had left them behind. Rey offered out a hand which Kat took to help her stand. “So, did anyone seem overly thrilled about your return?” The young Jedi asked as they started walking back to the main part of the base.

Kat laughed. “If you’re asking about who won the bet, it was Rose. Did we make you lose any credits?”

Rey shook her head, a smile dancing on her lips. “Oh, no. I was actually surprised when they asked if I would join that you two weren’t already together. So I was the one that’d give them updates based on what I saw.”

“That’s how we never knew about the bet.” She shook her head, a smile on her face. “So, what did you want to talk about?”

Slowing to a stop, Rey turned to Kat with a solemn look on her face. “I have updates for you on a few things you’ve asked me for and it could even explain Ren’s current actions.”

“You mean how he’s just trying to show that he’s the one in power by creating fear in each planet he’s visiting?” Kat asked with a raised eyebrow.

The young Jedi nodded. “Well, yes but he’s also looking for a Sith Wayfinder. He thinks it’ll lead him to Palpatine.”

“Oh great so now he’s not only killing people to create fear but probably because no one’s telling him where a kriffing Wayfinder is.” Kat threw her hands in the air in frustration.

“Kat…”

“Don’t.” She cut Rey off. “Don’t tell me that my brother is still in there because Kylo Ren is right. Ben is dead. And I know what you and Leia have said, what I’ve even thought after my run-in with him on Chandrila. If he was really still my brother he wouldn’t be doing this and he wouldn’t have pulled his saber on me. Kylo Ren needs to be defeated just like the First Order.”

“He said he’s sorry about that,” Rey called out before Kat could get too much further away from where she had started to storm off.

Kat whirled around to face Rey once more, conflicting emotions racing through her. “What?”

Rey let out a sigh. “I’ve told you how we’re connected, right?” At Kat’s nod of acknowledgment, she continued. “I was working on perfecting that trick you told me about and I felt him reach out. He doesn’t know where we are. I kept that hidden but he asked what I was learning. He was shocked that you had even told me that story and then he asked if I would tell you that he was sorry for Chandrila. He saw it as a way to protect you.”

Kat just scoffed. “There were other ways he could have done that.”

“Agreed. There’s a lot of things he could have done better.” She then bent down and picked up a large dead leaf. She crumpled it in her hands, making smaller pieces out of it before she tossed the pieces in the air, moving them to create the distinct shape of a firework. “But I also know that Ben’s still in there and he could use his sister.”

Watching Rey perform the trick that used to bring her such comfort made her feel so overwhelmed with emotions she just dropped to the jungle floor. “I can’t.” She gasped out when her lungs couldn’t take it anymore. She had tried to hold her breath to keep her tears at bay but that didn’t work either.

“I can’t fight for him to come back anymore. I’ve got to focus on the people in my care and who are still with me. His actions do not match up. He needs to wake up on his own. I can’t do it anymore because every time I allow myself to even think he’s finally gonna come back he does the complete opposite and I have to mourn him all over again. I’m through.” She stood, brushing off the dirt from her pants.

Just before she was about to leave, Rey spoke up. “You’ve lost your hope.”

“I’ve lost my faith.”

Rey watched as Kat left. She was stuck in her spot as she watched the young colonel leave, those four small words held so much weight, leaving the air feeling heavy even after Kat had long been gone. Not for the first time, Rey wished that Ben had left with her.

✧☆✧

Kat walked right by the command center where everyone watched her as she walked by them. She knew what she must look like, especially compared to how she was just a few hours before. She knew because she felt it. She was just a shell, going through the motions. She wanted the privacy of her room where she could stare at the ceiling for a bit before she brought out the bottle of alcohol she kept in her drawer. She’d only take a shot or two while she danced it out and then she’d be back and ready to take on the galaxy.

Poe started to follow after her but Rose stopped him. “You’re still too new. I’ll come get you when you’re needed.”

Just as she laid on her bed, Rose soon walked in. Hearing the door open, Kat turned to look at who was intruding. She let out a sigh. “I really shouldn’t be surprised.”

“No, you shouldn’t. Now scoot.” Rose nudged Kat over so she could lay down next to her. “You wanna talk about it?”

“Not particularly.”

“She tell you about Ben?” Rose guessed.

Kat nodded as tears sprang to her eyes once more.

“You know that comm you gave me has been ringing constantly since Chandrila. I guess he finally sought out another way to reach you.” When they had gotten to Ajan Kloss, Kat had asked if she would hold onto her secret comm she had linked between her and Ben. At the time it was because she knew she would answer it the second it began to ring in hopes that he would call and apologize for all he had done. He never did until their run in on their home planet it seemed. 

“You can get rid of it. I don’t need to speak with him ever again. I’m through.” Her voice cracked at the last word as a sob escaped her lips.

Rose just wrapped her friend in her arms, holding her. She knew that despite Kat’s current wishes, she’d still hang onto that commlink. It was the only thing linking the siblings together and if her sister was still alive, she’d still want a way to communicate with her even if they were on separate sides of the fight.

“I gotta focus on protecting the family that’s with me. We need to figure out where Palpatine is and how to end the First Order. I can’t worry about Ben’s decisions anymore.”

“I thought you were doing a pretty good job before.”

Kat let out a small laugh. “Then I’ll be even better.”

There was a small knock on the door before it opened to reveal Poe holding two slices of cake. “Even though I’m apparently still too new, whatever that’s supposed to mean, I figured cake would help with whatever happened between you and Rey.”

Both women sat up, Rose looked rather impressed while Kat looked on in awe. When the mechanic turned to look at her friend, she smiled seeing Kat’s expression. “Yeah, I’m gonna go. Let you two talk. Come find me later if you still need me.” The two hugged before Rose left the room.

It wasn’t long before Poe occupied the recently vacated spot next to Kat, who happily took one of the plates. They silently ate the dessert for a bit, having moved to rest their backs against the wall. Kat had even settled against his side, resting her head against his shoulder as she ate. “Still too new probably meant you’ve only recently been let fully in but I guess Rose forgot that your instincts about me have been scary good.”

“So I did good with the cake?” He asked, joking with her. He honestly would take any bit of information she was willing to tell him. Had been that way since Coruscant. Taking each piece she knowingly or unknowingly let him know as he pieced together not only how to work with her better but how to care for her.

Kat laughed. “You did good with the cake.”

Silence fell over them again. This time Kat picked at the rest of her cake instead of eating it. Poe noticed the shift and pressed a kiss to her hair, causing her to smile. “I guess I should start at the beginning.” She finally spoke up, letting out a deep breath as she prepared herself to tell him all about her brother.

And she did. She told him everything from their first meeting, to how they became attached at the hip, how she hated that he was leaving to go train with Luke. Then came his betrayal and how he tried to recruit her for the First Order and how they had started using the commlink she had given him when he went to go train to talk with one another but they always ended up trying to get the other to change sides. “That’s how I knew about them going to Jakku. He had called after Coruscant. But I never…” she was crying again and she really hated how many tears she was giving to her brother. “But I never thought. I am so sorry for what he did to you.” She moved away from his side so she could look at him, she wanted him to know how much she meant those words.

Poe moved the plates away and pulled her into his lap. Cradling her against him, he wiped away her tears before moving to just holding her close. “You do not apologize for that. I don’t blame you for that in any way. You were on your way to come get me. Finn just beat you to the rescue.” He gave her a small smirk which earned him a soft punch to his shoulder.

“I’m absolutely serious though, Kat.” He said after laughing softly. He had moved his hand to cup her face, his thumb now caressing her cheek instead of wiping away her tears. Even if he had all the reason in the world to hate Kylo Ren, seeing how much hurt he caused the woman in his arms, gave him plenty more. “What happened to me, that’s not on you. And now knowing the full extent of what you have given to this fight, it’s certainly not going to make me second guess being with you.”

At her shocked expression, he just rolled his eyes. “Do you really think I don’t know you by now?” He smiled before he started to press kisses everywhere he could reach. “I will remind you every day if I have to.” He said in between each one before landing on her lips. “You have not only been fighting for what’s right but for your brother as well. How could I ever hold that against you?”

She gave him a watery smile before resting her forehead against his. “Thank you.”

“I’ll always be in your corner.” He moved slightly to press a kiss to her forehead. He continued to hold her as silence fell over them for the third time. He honestly thought she had fallen asleep when he started to finish off his cake until her voice spoke up.

“If you think you’re gonna finish that cake without me…” She trailed off, the silent empty threat still heard loud and clear.

Poe chuckled and handed her her plate. She took it gratefully and began to finish her slice. There was still plenty to do but they could enjoy being together a little while longer.


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey goes out on a very important mission.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: We are officially in The Rise of Skywalker territory! I hope you all enjoy. Thank you all so much for all the love this story has gotten. I truly appreciate it and as always happy reading!

Mustafar. That’s where Kylo Ren and his knights had just left. After Naboo, it seemed like someone in the First Order had been pushed too far. They had started giving the Resistance information on what planet Kylo Ren had gone and whether or not they were anywhere close to finding Palpatine. After Mustafar though, everything changed.

Poe, Finn, Chewbacca, R2-D2, and a mechanic by the name of Klaud had been sent out to meet Boolio with the latest message from the First Order spy. They had taken the Falcon as a consolation to Kat nor Rey joining them. Poe hadn’t exactly been too thrilled when either woman had told him that they wouldn’t be coming on this mission either. Ever since their talk, they had kept themselves grounded. He understood to a point why Kat stayed behind. That was her way of operation since the beginning, only going in when needed. But in his mind, she was needed, especially since they still didn’t have the numbers they used to. Rey, on the other hand, did she really need that much training, so much so that she had dragged Kat into helping with fighting technique? Finn had been training and he still came out on missions. So maybe he was being a little petty.

Back on Ajan Kloss, Kat stood with her hands on her hips as she watched the tracker on the Falcon. She wasn’t entirely thrilled nor surprised when she saw TIEs show up but what she was frustrated at was whatever Poe seemed to be doing with her family’s ship. “What is he doing? Are the comms even working on that hunk of junk?” She asked the insult said more fondly than hateful.

“There are currently no comms.”

Kat rolled her eyes. “Someone tell Tico to check on that to see what we need to get those back up and running.” She ordered, exasperated.

Someone agreed and took off to find Rose.

“They’re coming in hot,” Connix said as she realized that the Falcon was about to land practically coming right out of lightspeed.

And sure enough, there was the Falcon, coming in for a landing, on fire.

Kat started yelling orders about sending a crew to put out the fire and to start assessing the damage. Crew members hurried off, not wanting to anger her further. She wasn't far behind them, marching her way to the end of the exit ramp. She placed her hands on her hips, ready to rip into whoever stepped off first. R2-D2 zipped by her claiming they didn't do anything and needed to get the message to Leia. She let the old astromech droid go because the next person off was Chewbacca. "What on earth did you let him do to our ship?"

The Wookiee growled and Kat rolled her eyes. "Of course he ignored your input."

Chewbacca then gave a report of what exactly Poe had done and Kat saw red. "You lightspeed skipped the Falcon?!" She yelled just as Poe stepped off the freighter. "The compressor's down. You could have blown the whole ship up."

"But I'm here and I didn’t." He tried really hard to use that charming smile of his to get him out of this argument. If she was pissed now, he'd hate to see her when he told her the news they had just discovered.

She motioned towards the ship which was very much still on fire. "It's on fire Poe. You caught my family's ship on fire."

"And with your great leadership skills,” he gave her a quick kiss in greeting, “it's already being put out."

"It shouldn't even be on fire! You can't lightspeed skip the falcon." The kiss had put a smile on her face but it wasn’t enough to distract her from being upset about the current state of her family’s ship.

"Well apparently you can and…" he looked behind her shoulder to where Rey and BB-8 were returning to the main part of base. "What did you do to my droid?" He asked as he moved past Kat to get a closer look.

Kat sighed as the two began bickering and turned to look at Finn. "I'm assuming you couldn't have done anything either?"

Finn just shook his head. "There were just too many of them. Now come on let's corral the children so you can start planning what we're gonna do next cause, let me tell ya, what we translated from Artoo, it's not looking too good." He slung an arm around her shoulders when she groaned.

"I was hoping for good news."

He chuckled. "I think we all were."

Everyone moved to gather around the command center. Kat moved out from under Finn’s arm as she made her way over to Leia’s side. Poe glanced her way as she approached, and to his surprise, she hugged him. “I’m glad you’re back in one piece but maybe next time, try not to blow yourself up, yeah?” She said as she pulled back.

“I promise.” He smiled at her. “You know we could’ve really used you.”

She brought a hand up to caress his cheek. “You know my job is on the ground.” She stepped away and went to her mother’s side, feeling Poe’s eyes on her the whole time.

When she looked back towards him and motioned for him to start talking, a small smirk appeared as he shook his head to address the Resistance. Their new relationship caused a state of disbelief sometimes, even still. He knew though that he was the luckiest man in the galaxy that Kat had chosen him. “Right,” his look of awe returned to seriousness as he began to debrief from his latest mission, “so we’ve decoded the intel from the First Order spy and it confirms the worst.” Poe sighed and once more shook his head before looking towards Kat and Leia. “Somehow Palpatine returned.”

Leia took Kat’s hand, giving it a small squeeze as the younger of the two looked to gauge her mom’s reaction. Neither of them could believe it. They had hoped that it had all been a trick but somehow it seemed to be the truth.

“Wait, do we believe this?” Rose asked, making sure she was heard over the group’s murmurs and side conversations.

“It cannot be. The Emperor is dead.” A pilot chimed in.

“Dark science. Cloning. Secrets only the Sith knew.” Beaumont said, figuring that could be the only way that this could be true.

“He’s been planning his revenge.” Poe continued relaying the message. “His followers have been building something for years. The largest fleet the galaxy has ever known. He calls it the Final Order.” Once more he looked towards Kat. “In 16 hours attacks on all free worlds begin.”

Her eyes widened at the news. How was she supposed to come up with a plan in enough time? If she were to get anything done, she would need to leave the meeting now. She just needed more information. “Please tell me we at least know where this new fleet is located.”

He nodded. “The Emperor and his fleet have been hiding in the Unknown Regions on a world called Exegol.”

At the mention of the planet name, R2-D2 started to chirp frantically.

“Exegol does not appear on any star chart.” C-3PO translated for those who didn’t understand. “But legend describes it as the hidden world of the Sith.”

As the gold droid was talking, Rey hurried off. Finn watched, confused as his friend ran off. She knew something, that he was sure of. Otherwise, why would she leave? Rose took his hand, giving it a small squeeze. She didn’t like the sound of all this either. She could already see the gears turning in Kat’s head and everyone had worry written all over their faces. She wanted to comfort and reassure Finn, of course, but having his hand in hers offered some comfort to herself as well.

Kat pinched the bridge of her nose as the others continued to talk about this secret planet. How was she supposed to lead their fleet into a mission when they were entering unknown territory? How were they even supposed to get to Exegol in the first place? She assumed that’s where they needed to go before they launched their attack. There were too many unknown variables and she did not like it in the least bit. Not to mention they barely even had a decent sized fleet. They had tried calling out before but no one came so it was truly up to those who were currently standing around the command center to defend the rest of the galaxy. Oh, maker, help her.

“General?” Rey’s voice sounded, breaking everyone from their conversation and Kat from her thoughts. “Can I speak with you?”

Leia squeezed Kat’s hand and led the young Jedi to her office. Kat watched as the two women left which meant everyone was now looking at her. Her fingers twitched, aching to twirl her batons. Instead of pacing, however, she thought it would be more appropriate to hit something. “Well get back at it. You heard the Commander, we’ve got a giant fleet to prepare for.” She dismissed them.

They all stayed still for a moment before Rose called out to those on her team about checking ships. Kat gave her friend a thankful look. Rose just smiled in return and helped the others scatter about, leaving Kat and Poe at her command post.

“Finn warned me but I wasn’t thinking it was going to be that bad,” Kat said once they were alone, enough.

“We’ll figure it out, we always do. Leia and Rey are talking now so that could be a good sign then you’ll feel a little less like pacing.” He took one of her hands that she was currently tapping her fingers against her thumb.

“It’s more like I want to hit something.”

Poe slowly nodded before smirking a bit. “I could think of another way to get some of that energy out.”

She rolled her eyes in exasperation and shoved at his shoulder. “Definitely not in the mood for that.”

He chuckled and raised his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Just a suggestion.”

Kat let out a sigh and leaned forward to rest her head against his shoulder. He brought an arm up to wrap around her and she easily moved into his embrace. “You know what I really wish I could do?”

“Blow up Exegol.”

She laughed a bit which caused him to smile. “Well, yes but not what I was thinking. I wish I could just hop in my ship and fly around for a bit. I miss just aimlessly flying.”

He placed a kiss on top of her head. “When we win this thing and we will win this, you and I can just go fly for however long you want. It’ll just be me, you, and the stars.”

She smiled at the thought. “I’d like that.” 

✧☆✧

“I have a plan and Leia said that I needed to run it by you first but I must warn you I’m going to do it regardless,” Rey said as she approached Kat, who was working on fixing up the Falcon.

Kat chuckled and pushed herself out of the hole in the floor. “Well, let’s hear it then.”

Rey moved to sit down across from her, both of their feet dangling into the space below them. “Luke tried to find Exegol before so I’m going to finish what he started. I’m going to start in the Forbidden Desert of Pasaana. His trail went cold there and so that must mean there’s something there he could have missed.”

“And what exactly was my uncle looking for there?”

“A Sith Wayfinder. It’s a map that will take me straight to Exegol. I’ll find the Emperor and help stop what’s coming.”

Kat looked Rey over. Everything about the young Jedi from her eyes to her body language screamed how determined she was. Sure Rey already told Kat she was going to follow through with this plan regardless but there was something else that shone behind that determination that Kat picked up on. “You’re planning on doing this alone, aren’t you?”

Rey raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure you’re not force sensitive?” As the young Jedi had gotten to know the colonel, she had started to suspect it. Of course, just because she anticipated her moves when they were sparring or seemed to know her thoughts didn’t mean she was. She knew Kat was one of the best agents they had.

The colonel laughed as she stood. “I’m quite certain. I’ve picked up other skills like knowing how to read people well that help me just as much. But you’re not going alone.” She gave her a pointed look.

“Kat, it’s too dangerous, I couldn’t ask you to come with me,” Rey said as she stood as well, helping Kat put the grate back into place.

“Oh, I’m not going. I’ll be running point back here. But Leia’s bound to have gotten you a small group together already that I’m sure will consist of some familiar faces. She just needed the time to do so.” Kat smirked, making her way out of the Falcon. Knowing her mom, she wouldn’t have sent Rey to get her approval if she wasn’t working on something herself.

“Wait, you don’t mean?” Rey asked, following Kat out.

Just then Poe came into the small clearing that he had left the Falcon. Kat smiled towards Rey in a way that said, ‘told ya’ before she went around checking on the ship’s exterior.

Chewie growled towards her. “Oh, you’re gonna go too, huh?”

He nodded, tossing the tool he had used back into the toolbox. “Well, maybe you and Rey can keep Poe in line and not have him set the ship on fire again?”

Chewie grunted in acknowledgment, even teasing her a bit.

“Oh, shush. You know I’m of better use here, anyways.” She said, hugging him. “Just be safe, okay? Bring them all back to me in one piece.”

He easily returned the hug and once more teased her.

“Yes, of course, that means you too. Don’t know what I’d do without you, ya big furball.” She gave him a brief squeeze before making her way towards the others going on this mission.

Finn grabbed her first, walking with her to where the others were starting to pack the Falcon. “You sure you don’t want to come with us, colonel?”

“I’ll be with you every step of the way just at a farther distance. It’s better if I’m here so I can see the whole picture. It’ll help if you need to escape or if something throws a wrench into your plans.” She turned and gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. “Look out for one another out there? We don’t know what lies ahead for you all on this mission.”

“Of course, Kat.” He smiled at her, pulling her in for a hug.

She patted his shoulder when they pulled away and she moved on to Rey. She pulled the young Jedi in for a hug first. “I know you’ve been distracted and I know you haven’t felt comfortable with telling me why but please know that whatever comes your way that you will remember that you don’t have to do it alone.” She pulled away and placed her hands on Rey’s shoulders. “You’re not alone anymore and you have people here who care deeply for you. I hope you find what you’re looking for.” She smiled, knowingly.

Rey laughed, looking off to the side for a moment before looking back at Kat. “How’d you know?”

“Because I see the same look I had when I left for Naboo. Determination covering up that lost feeling. Just don’t try finding it at the end of a bottle. More trouble than it’s worth, really.” She joked slightly.

“Can I hear that full story when I get back?”

Kat laughed, nodding her head. “Sure. May the force be with you, Rey.” She gave her another hug before moving on to Poe.

“Last chance. You could join us out there,” Poe said.

Kat smiled. “I’m needed here. There’s still a lot to plan and you’ll be needing back up soon I’m sure.”

He held up a commlink. “I honestly can’t even go through a whole checklist but I do have this.”

The fact that he couldn’t do their usual run-through scared her, scared them both but the fact that he grabbed a commlink made her smile. “Good. You better use it for constant updates.”

“Of course.” He pocketed the communication device before giving her a searing kiss. He didn’t know when he would be back. Didn’t know what truly waited for them once they left the base. Didn’t have a thorough plan to even try to follow and Kat wasn’t even going to be with him. A lot was weighing on the success of this mission and he felt every extra pound.

Kat was shocked at the intensity of the kiss. She honestly didn’t even like the implications of it but she poured every bit of her feelings towards him in her reciprocation. “Come back to me.” She whispered when they broke apart, foreheads still touching.

“Always do.” He promised, kissing her sweetly this time before boarding the ship.

Rose came to stand beside Kat, linking their arms together as they watched their respective boyfriends board the Millenium Falcon. Finn had tried to recruit Rose to join them as well but the mechanic had told him no, that Leia had asked for her to stay behind to go over plans of Destroyers with Kat. Seeing how Kat and Poe said goodbye, however, both Finn and Rose knew that she was staying behind more so to be there for her friend. Finn had told her that if anyone could figure out a plan to help them take down the fleet it would be the two of them before kissing his girlfriend goodbye.

“Wanna start looking over those Destroyer plans or see what the galley has in terms of something sweet?” Rose asked.

Kat smiled, glad that she still had her best friend with her. “Dessert first. Planning on taking down the First Order a very close second.” The two girls laughed before waving goodbye to their friends they could see in the cockpit of the Millenium Falcon.

“If you two are going in search of cake, there better be enough room for a third,” Leia said as she approached the two women.

Linking her other arm through Leia’s, Kat laughed. “Of course. There’s always room for you.”

They moved out of the way so that the Falcon could leave. As the three women watched the ship leave the atmosphere, they all hoped that they would return safely and swiftly.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat and Rose work on getting familiar with Star Destroyers while the rest of the team travel the galaxy to find the Sith Wayfinder.

After they ate cake, Rose and Kat headed into the main control area of the Tantive IV. Leia told them that all of the old holos should still be there despite anything the Empire could have done to the ship. So, the two friends set about fixing things since instead of wiping the control center of the information saved, the Empire decided to break the screens and paneling protecting the hardware system.

The pair worked in silence, mostly. Both would hum whatever song randomly would pop in their heads from time to time or even talk to themselves as they worked on something particularly puzzling or frustrating. They had managed to remove all the paneling when Connix came in. “The General requested you both to join her for an update. General Calrissian sent a message saying that the team just left and were trying to dodge the First Order.”

“Thanks, Lieutenant. We’ll be there shortly.” Kat smiled, dismissing the other woman.

✧☆✧

Just as Rose and Kat arrived at Leia’s side, Snap came up to the three women. “General, Colonel, Lieutenant.” He said in greeting. “We’re getting reports of a raid at the Festival of Ancestors.”

All three women practically sighed together. “This mission is everything. We cannot fail.” Leia said.

“Any word from Poe or Rey?” Kat asked.

“Falcon’s not responding.” He said, fearful of what that could mean.

Rose looked towards Kat, watching as her friend’s face fell before rolling her eyes. “Do you have to say it like that?”

Snap looked to Rose, defensive. Rose might be a lieutenant now but he was used to informing Kat and Leia for a lot longer than she had an official title. “Like what?”

“Do me a personal favor?” Leia asked. “Be optimistic.”

Snap nodded. “Yes ma’am.” He continued to nod as he tried to think of a way to sound optimistic with the not so great news. “Uh, this is, this is terrific. You’re not gonna believe how well this is gonna turn out.”

The three women looked at him in various degrees of disbelief. Rose, fed up, sighed, and walked away while shaking her head.

“Hey, Wexley?” Kat asked, interrupting him.

“Yeah, Colonel?”

“Why don’t you go find Kare and ask her to help you with that optimism.” She gave him a bit of a pointed stare before following after Rose.

He just looked to Leia, who gave a small shrug. “It could use a little work. Thank you, Captain.” 

✧☆✧

Kat found Rose already back at work, fixing the wiring under one of the desks. “They probably haven’t made it back to the Falcon yet and honestly I don’t think Poe would even let them go back to the Falcon if the First Order is after them.”

Rose looked over to her friend, incredulous. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

“I’m just trying to offer up a different solution than whatever’s going through your head right now.”

She laughed, shaking her head. “Well, maybe work on your delivery a little bit. It wasn’t very cheerful.”

Kat sat down next to Rose. “You know comfort isn’t exactly my strong suit, especially when I’m running a mission.” She sighed. “They are fine though. I do believe that.”

Rose smiled. “That’s better. Now help me with this wiring? It looked like at least someone was smart enough to try and detach things while everyone was going ballistic in here.”

They had barely gotten back to work when Kat’s commlink began to ring. She quickly put a hold on the wires and moved to sit on one of the jump seats in the room. Hope filled her chest as she answered. “Poe? Please tell me you have good news.”

Poe let out a heavy sigh. Finn, Rey, BB-8, and C-3PO were all in the back of Ochi’s ship while he remained in the cockpit to call Kat to give her an update. Things on Pasaana were a complete failure, not to mention he had to tell her about yet another loss to her family. “It’s not the greatest, Kat.”

“I really don’t like the sound of that. Are you all okay?”

“Mostly.” He sighed once more. “Listen, Kat, we’ve had a loss.”

Rose whipped her head around to face her friend, worry written all over it. “Finn okay?” She called out so she could be heard.

“Yeah, Finn’s fine. It was Chewie. He was taken by the First Order and Rey tried to bring the transporter back by the Force but Ren started to pull on it too until it became too much of a strain on Rey and it blew up.”

The moment he said the Wookiee’s name, Kat’s heart dropped but as he continued to tell what happened, she started to hold back tears. “No,” she gasped out. “No, I don’t believe it. He can’t be gone.”

“I’m so sorry, Kat.” He leaned forward, shoulders slouched over with the added weight of yet another loss. He pinched the bridge of his nose, giving her some space to grieve before moving on with the update: there was currently no plan because the one thing they had needed to continue had been lost with Chewbacca.

She sniffled, trying to reign in her emotions for the time being so she could help plan their next move. They could still lean on Lando. They could go back with the First Order now gone.

At the sound of her sniffling, Poe’s head popped back up. He hated that he wasn’t there to physically comfort her. “Hey, hey, no crying while I’m not there. I can’t wipe ‘em away if I’m not there.”

She let out a sound that was mixed between crying and laughing. “Does this mean you’re coming back to base?” Maybe that would be better. They could regroup then head back out. If only they weren’t on a time crunch.

“No.” He shook his head, hating that had to be his answer. They couldn’t return, not now. It would take up too much time. “Right now we’re hiding out in an asteroid belt to wait out the First Order. We ran into Lando Calrissian though and he was helpful so maybe we’ll head back and talk to him once the coast is clear. Cause we found this dagger that had the location of the Wayfinder on it but even though C-3PO was able to read it, they can’t translate Sith. Something about being against protocol so maybe there’s something to be done there. Oh! And did you know that stormtroopers can fly now?” He said, trying to make her smile at least a little.

“They fly now?” She asked in disbelief.

Poe chuckled a bit at the sense of deja vu. “Yeah, they fly now. Jetpacks and everything. How’re things on your end?”

“Well,” Kat let out a small huff, “Rose and I have been working on these memory banks of sorts to try and see if there’s anything useful on it since the Tantive IV was kind of a big deal before Vader took it out of commission. Leia said there should be plenty of old holos on here with information stolen by our parents, essentially.”

“Sounds like you’ve got your work cut out for ya.”

She laughed a bit. “Yeah, sure is.” Silence fell over them, not really wanting to say goodbye but knowing they both needed to return to what they were doing. “I think going back to see Lando would be the best plan right now unless you find some other way to get Threepio to translate what was on that dagger. Just be careful going back. They probably still left a few guards there to patrol the festival.”

“You got it. I’ll talk to you soon, Kat, and hopefully with some better news.”

“May the force be with you.”

He repeated the sentiment before the connection ended. Kat set the commlink to the side and soon she had her arms full of Rose. “I’m so sorry, Kat.”

“I just can’t believe he’s gone too.” She began to cry again.

“This might sound a little crazy but hasn’t Leia felt all of the deaths from your family so far? So if she hasn’t appeared yet, then maybe that could mean he’s not really.” Rose tried to comfort.

Kat gave her friend a watery smile. “Thanks, Rose, but to be honest, I’m not entirely sure. After all, she could be staying away right now to save me from any more bad news. I should probably go and find her actually, give an update.”

“Why don’t we finish this first? See if we can’t find some good news to go along with it?”

She nodded. “Alright, let’s see if we can’t find those specs.”

✧☆✧

Kat and Rose got a few of the consoles running again but there were far too many files to sort through. So they stopped working on the consoles and began sifting through the files, organizing things as best they could, sending the specs for any of the old Empire ships to their current command center.

When the commlink began ringing, they were about halfway through. Kat sighed in relief, grateful for the break. “I’m gonna go get us some food. I’ll be back.” Rose said, using it as time for a break for herself.

Kat nodded and answered the commlink. “Where are you? It’s been far too long since your last update.”

“We’re on Endor. That’s where the blade led us.” Poe said, letting out a huff of frustration as he worked on another spot that the Falcon needed fixing after their crash landing. Rey went off on her own. He and Finn got into an argument. This whole thing was not going how he had hoped. As he worked he couldn’t help but repeat Finn’s words and his own wish of Kat actually being there instead of miles away. Then he realized it had been a while since his last update so he figured while everyone else seemed to be set on doing their own thing, he would check in while he worked.

“You alright?”

Poe let out a sigh. He really shouldn’t be surprised that Kat picked up on his frustration. “Not exactly. Rey just went out to the Death Star wreck by herself with extremely dangerous waters. Finn wants to go after her but we can’t at the moment because the Falcon isn’t in the best shape at the moment and apparently he and Leia know what Rey’s going through but no one wants to seem to inform me of what’s going on so here I am fixing the Falcon, alone, because no one wants to listen to me.” Maybe he called more to vent than to update. If she went with them then maybe this wouldn’t have gone sideways.

Kat sat, blinking for a few moments as she processed through his angry rant. Rey and Finn’s predicament was interesting, something Leia could probably shed light on later. What she really wanted though was to be able to comfort him more than with just her words but they would have to do. “Well, it sounds like emotions are high everywhere, which is understandable because this mission holds a lot of weight.”

“Thanks for the reminder.”

“I wasn’t done yet.” She glared at the commlink in her hand, hoping he could feel it from where he was. “As I was saying there’s a lot of stress and you’ve got yourself a rogue agent. It sounds like you need to get to the Death Star wreck. So what can you do right now, this very moment that will help you reach that goal while also keeping everyone safe?”

“Fix the Falcon,” he said.

“And look at that, you are. It’s going to work out Poe. You’re doing the best with what you got.”

“You really couldn’t have come with us? I’m pretty sure they would listen to you.”

“This is a first for everyone. I wasn’t able to plan out every detail and this isn’t one of your standard missions. You’re doing fine, Poe. Everything that I would’ve done. Well, from what I’ve heard so far. You got the Falcon back? Start there because you owe me an update, Commander.”

Poe chuckled, grateful for Kat’s words. They still didn’t dull the ache of wanting her there beside him, however. Their conversation would just have to be enough. “Yeah, it was on Ren’s Destroyer. We snuck on after we wiped Threepio’s memory on Kijimi so we could learn the location of the Wayfinder.” He paused, waiting for her reaction to that news. When all he got was okay, he was a little shocked.

“You’re not gonna ask about Kijimi? Or freak out about Threepio? I mean I’m kind of oh and two with watching out for your family members but good news, Chewie is actually alive and we saved him from the Destroyer too.”

“Artoo’s got a memory back up for him so it can be restored but you should have definitely led with Chewie’s alive.” Kat grinned, relieved that her uncle was in fact alive. “And is there a particular reason why I should be worried about Kijimi? Although I guess I am curious as to why? Was that the only way to get Threepio to translate?”

“No. There’s not a reason you should be worried about Kijimi.” He briefly wondered if Kat knew the dealings of the planet and if she would make any assumptions. “I have some contacts there and that’s how we were able to wipe Threepio’s memory. Wiping his memory was the only way to get him to read it. Apparently, it was against his original protocol.”

While Finn had teased him about his seeming spice runner past, his friend brought up a good point about Kat knowing. He wondered if she had known or what she would do if she found out. It was before he was officially a part of the Resistance. He went undercover for the New Republic Defense Fleet near the beginning of the cold war. Leia was the one that called him away, recruiting him for the Resistance and leaving him with some unfinished business on the planet. So maybe he was a little more concerned about Kat finding out about Zorii.

“Poe, we all have some shady contacts. My main contact from Naboo’s home planet is the same one as Count Dooku.”

Well, her reaction seemed promising. He’d save his confession of sorts for later though when they were face to face. “And here I thought you were gonna bring up Ren. Oh! Speaking of the First Order. You’ll never guess who was the spy.”

Kat rolled her eyes but played along with the same amount of enthusiasm. “Who?”

“General kriffing Hux. Who woulda thought?”

This time Kat laughed. “No way! Him?!”

“Yup. He saved us from a firing squad and took us to the Falcon.”

“He what?!”

Poe winced at the volume in which she yelled. He probably shouldn’t have mentioned that. “Yeah, Chewie, Finn, and I got caught, they were gonna kill us, and uh, before that I may have gotten shot. I’m fine though, really. Just my arm. Probably gonna scar but other than that, totally fine.”

“Poe!”

“The plan is to not have any more mishaps. We just gotta get Rey back from her solo mission.”

“It better!”

“So, how are things going on your end?” He asked, hoping to steer the conversation back to more neutral territory.

Kat let out a huff, not happy about all of this latest development. “We’ve got three units running. We’re about halfway through all the files when you called so I’m having Connix and her team analyze them until we can get to them.”

“I’m glad to hear yours is going far easier. I should probably let you go so I can fix things here and hopefully stop Finn from doing something too stupid like go after Rey himself.” Poe then groaned in realization. “Yeah, I’m going to let you go. Finn’s probably gone after Rey himself. I’ll call with an update soon.”

With that, the connection ended and Kat let out a heavy sigh. She really hoped that all would be well soon. Now to get back to these files while she waited on Rose to return with food.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kat deals with a lot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: For those of you who celebrate Thanksgiving, I hope you all had a great time with a safe celebration with family and friends. For those of you who don't, I hope you had a good day. This next chapter is an emotional one so hopefully it makes up for not posting in a few days. Happy Reading!

After the friends had finished eating, Kat sent Rose out to start looking at the specs with the rest of the team. She would be able to shift through the files and then move onto the next console fine. They had been working like that for a bit until Rose came running in. “Kat, it’s Leia. You need to come now.”

Fear coursed through her as she scrambled to get up. “Where is she?”

“Connix took her to her quarters. Something’s going on in the Force.”

With that Kat took off running. Her heart clenched as dread began to seep in. This couldn’t be it. Leia wouldn’t leave her. She never did. She was the one person who never abandoned her. She fought to come back when the First Order shot at the bridge. This wasn’t happening.

“Mom,” Kat said as she came to stand in front of Leia. “Mom, what’s going on?”

Leia’s far-off look refocused onto her daughter but Kat could tell she was still somewhere else. “It’s our last chance to bring your brother home. It’s the only way.” She held out a hand which Kat easily took.

“What are you talking about? There has to be another way. You don’t have to do, whatever it is you’re doing.”

Leia caressed Kat’s cheek and gave her a soft, motherly smile. “Come sit with me. I’ve almost done it.”

Kat helped Leia to her bed, ignoring the tears falling down her cheeks. “What are you sending him?”

“Love, forgiveness, my apology, and a reminder that he still has a place and someone to come back to.” She gave as pointed of a look as she could give but it still packed its full punch. “Promise you’ll look after him.”

She nodded. “I will but you know, you didn’t have to go through all of this just to make sure I would.”

“Oh, hush, child.” Her smile didn’t quite make it to her eyes. “I’m trying to have a serious moment. Pass on my motherly wisdom and all that.”

Kat gave her a watery smile and squeezed Leia’s hand, to tell her to continue.

“I love you both, more than I was able to tell you or perhaps even show you. Some of my favorite memories are of being a mother to you two. You tell him that I love him and I’ve forgiven him, okay? And that he has to listen to his big sister.”

Kat laughed and nodded. “He’s going to love hearing that last part.”

Leia just smiled. “You’re going to be alright after I’m gone.”

She let out a muffled sob. “No, I’m not. How am I supposed to go on without you? I’m not ready to take this on.”

“Oh, Katerina, you are more than ready. You will take on my role as General and Dameron will be by your side.” She squeezed her daughter’s hand. “I’m glad you two finally figured things out. The galaxy isn’t going to be prepared for you.” She smiled again, lifting Kat’s hand to her lips. Her eyes fluttered closed just as she lightly pressed a kiss to her daughter’s hand before her hand went limp.

“No.” Tears were falling at full force now. “Mom?” Her voice cracked as she brought a hand up to caress Leia’s cheek but when there was no movement it just hit home what Kat already knew. No longer being able to keep her cries silent, she laid her head on Leia’s stomach, sobs tearing through her body as she mourned the mother she knew the longest. She had been orphaned once more and all she had left of her family was a brother who felt so far out of reach.

R2-D2, who had been close by, whined softly making Kat look up. “Oh, Artoo.” She sniffled. The droid rolled around to her and Kat wrapped her arms around one of the droids she had known all her life.

After a few moments, she let go and stood so she could drape a sheet over Leia. “Will you go ask Maz to gather everyone here? I’ve got an announcement to make.” Her voice cracked once more as she asked the astromech droid to fetch everyone.

Rose ran the moment she heard Artoo’s message to Maz, immediately engulfing her friend into a hug. “I’m so sorry. What do you need?”

Kat held onto her friend tightly as a few more sobs wracked through her body. “I need you here with me as I make the announcement.”

“Of course. Anything you need.” Rose squeezed her.

As if on cue Maz spoke up, alerting both women to hers and the rest of the Resistance’s presence. “General, we’re all here.”

Kat sniffled and wiped her tears as she pulled away from Rose. She nodded her thanks towards Maz and stepped forward to address the Resistance. “During this fight, we have lost many but today is an especially hard loss. Leia Organa is no longer with us. She fought her entire life for what was right and led us all to where we are today about to face our biggest battle yet. I hope to be half the General she was. We will continue forward for those who cannot fight against the First Order but we will also continue in the light and the hope, the legacy that Leia leaves behind.” She wiped some more tears away before continuing. “We will take a few moments of silence to honor her but then we need to bring the Falcon back home so we can get to Exegol and finish this once and for all.”

She felt the cold metal of Artoo nudge her hand. She smiled down at the droid who led her back to Leia’s bedside. D’Acy and Maz each hugged her, telling her how proud Leia would be which made Kat cry even more. Rose took Kat’s hand and squeezed it, reminding her that she wasn’t alone.

The sound of the command center chiming broke things up. Kat looked towards it, prepared to go when D’Acy told her to stay. The rest of the group dispersed then, going back to preparations.

“I need to go back out there,” Kat whispered. “Have you gotten any new information?” She turned to ask Rose.

“Not anything that we didn’t know before. I just know those ships inside and out now.”

Kat nodded. “Good. We’ll need that for our plan of attack.” She let out a sigh, wiping away her tears once more. “Alright, back out there I go.”

✧☆✧

“The Falcon will be returning soon. They said they had a dire message for the General.” D’Acy informed Kat once she got to the command center.

“Did you tell them?”

The other woman shook her head. “I figured I would tell them when they got here.”

Kat nodded. “So what has your team been working on?”

D’Acy soon explained what the ground control had been working on in regards to the Destroyer specs. How they could attack against the First Order’s communication and how that could assist with the Navy. “Kat, I also would like for you to think about promoting someone else for the military side of things. I think I’d rather finish my time with the Resistance at the command center, be the commander directly under you.”

“Oh. You sure? I was planning on bringing you to General as well.”

D’Acy smiled and squeezed Kat’s arm. “I appreciate it, General but it’s what I want. I’m starting to get a bit too old to lead the army out into a battle.”

“Then you’ll be in control of the commands center.” Kat smiled back.

The two women continued working in silence as the Falcon returned. The older of the two went to go greet them as Kat stayed behind, working with Connix to finalize details.

At the sound of a Wookiee cry, Kat whipped her head towards the sound. It was a few moments but she soon saw Chewbacca running towards Leia’s quarters. She was so focused on the Wookiee that she didn’t even notice Poe jogging towards her until she was swept up in his arms.

They stumbled briefly from the force of the embrace and Kat’s unpreparedness but that didn’t stop the tears from falling again. The familiar warmth, his familiar scent, and just the overall feeling of safety being in his arms made her start crying all over again. “She’s gone Poe, she’s really gone.”

“I know, Kat, I know. I’m so sorry.” He held her as tight as he could, ignoring the ache and pull of his injured arm as tears rolled down his own cheeks. Leia meant so much to so many and he would always be grateful for her recruiting him, making him want to do better, be better, and teaching him how to be the leader he wanted to be.

They stayed like that for a few moments longer, holding each other as they mourned the loss of Leia. Kat pulled away first, moving to wipe her tears but Poe batted her hand away and did so himself, swiping his thumbs gently across her cheeks. “I really hate to bring on bad news.” He told her softly.

“Then let me go first. You’re now the General of the Naval Fleet. Congratulations. I’d promote Snap and Rose to Commander if I were you.”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m General now, taking over for Leia and I can’t do this without you so congrats you’re now a General and we need to have someone for the military side of things, D’Acy is wanting to only be over ground control.”

Poe slowly nodded. “I think I know just the right person but Kat, Rey took off alone. We don’t know how to get to Exegol.”

Kat let out a sigh. “Then we start to prepare to protect the planets that the First Order doesn’t have control over. My guess is Chandrilla would be its first target.”

Rose came running over then, holding out the commlink that Kat had told her to get rid of a while ago. “I’m glad I held onto it.” She said as she held it out towards her friend.

Kat gently took the commlink, staring at it in awe. “If you’ll excuse me. Oh, and Rose? Congrats you’re now a Commander.”

Once she was in her own quarters, she answered the comm. “Ben?” Her voice cracked.

“Hey, Kat.” His voice made her drop down to her bed. It sounded as broken as she felt.

In those two words, it reminded her of when he first left to join the First Order. She rushed home from a night out with friends in Hanna City at the news of her uncle’s burning Jedi Temple. She found Ben hiding in the shadows just outside of their family home. She had been so relieved to see him.

This time however things were a bit reversed. Instead of the initial relief, she felt all those years ago, nerves were swirling around her. She didn’t know who her brother was, especially after that night where he tried to recruit her to come with him. Now was she supposed to try and recruit him to come home? That’s certainly what Leia wanted.

“She’s gone, Ben. They’re both gone.” Her voice cracked as she tried to keep it together. She couldn’t let him see her be so vulnerable, not anymore. He had hurt her, betrayed her.

“I know. And I’m so sorry that I’ve taken them both. I’m sorry for everything. I thought I couldn’t come back.”

“You could always come back. You can still come back. That’s what they wanted. What she wanted. Her best memories were when she got to be a mom. She loves you and forgives you.”

Ben ran a hand through his hair, trying for just a split second to take the emotions turmoiling in his head. He was grateful that Kat wasn’t here to see this but even still a flash of longing and innocence appeared for the broken metal of the crashed Death Star to see. “What about you? Is that what you want?”

Kat let out a heavy sigh and pinched the bridge of her nose. “I don’t know. I don’t know who you are anymore, Ben. You’ve done some kriffing awful things.”

The memory of him leaving that very first night flashed across her mind. She had needed him to stay so badly to the point she had cried in the yard after he left. He had been one of the only people in her life that she had trusted with everything. He had helped her transition into her new family. He had cheered her up whenever she got upset or calmed her down when she got angry. They used to be such a unit. She didn’t need him like she used to but that didn’t mean she didn’t miss him like crazy.

“I miss you though. I miss my brother. So come back? I want you here. We’ll figure the rest out when this is all over.”

There was a strangled noise on the commlink somewhere mixed with relief, a sob, and laughter. “I have something I must do first but I will. I’ll come back home, Kat.”

“Good.” She sniffled, wiping her tears. “Be safe and I’ll see you soon.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team finds out what the Final Order is all about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I apologize for the wait. We're getting closer and closer to where I've left off writing and I want to be pretty far in advance before posting the next chapter and well I also took a bit of a break from writing it to work on another project of mine. Kat and Poe had been so loud for so long that I jumped at the chance to work on something else when they quieted some. ANYWAYS I hope you like this next chapter and happy holidays!

Once the connection ended, Kat made her way back to the control station. She didn’t know what Ben had to do but she couldn’t dwell on that. She had a Resistance to lead and a plan to create. Poe looked towards her, tears in his eyes, when she approached, D’Acy having just delivered that the First Order had destroyed Kijimi.

“What’s happened?” She asked, placing a hand on his arm, concern written all over her face.

He winced slightly at the tenderness he still had after the bacta treatment for his arm. Kat noticed and figured that was where he had been shot. She gently swiped her thumb over the spot, trying to soothe any aching as she waited for him to tell her what was going on.

“A blast from a Star Destroyer has just destroyed the entire planet of Kijimi.” He told her and she immediately brought him into a hug.

“When did Star Destroyers have that kind of gun power?” Kat asked as she pulled away to face the others standing at the main console. She slid her hand into his while she waited for an answer. He gave her hand a squeeze and she turned back briefly, smiling softly before returning to business.

“It was a ship out of the new Sith fleet, out of the unknowns,” D’Acy answered.

Beaumont came around from the other console to speak with the group. “The Emperor sent a ship from Exegol. Does that mean that the entire fleet…”

“Has planet-killing weapons.” Poe finished the other man’s thought. “Of course they do. All of them. This is how he ends it.”

Some static started to come through their main communications hub as a new message from the Emperor was sent out. “Listen. It’s on every frequency.” Rose pointed out.

“The Resistance is dead. The Sith flame will burn.” Beaumont translated from the muffled sound. “All worlds, surrender or die. The Final Order begins.”

Everyone turned to Kat and Poe, who then turned to look at each other. Tears sprang to her eyes. Would she ever stop crying today? There was so much coming at her and this was easily becoming the fight of their lives and neither newly appointed general was confident in their leading abilities.

“I need a moment.” Kat gasped out before hurrying off to Leia’s quarters.

Rose started to go after her but Poe stopped her. “I got this, this time.” They both shared a small smile before Poe hurried off after Kat.

He found her at the side of Leia’s bed, head buried in her arms as her shoulders shook as she cried. He made sure to announce his arrival before sitting down next to her. When she still didn’t look up, he touched her arm gently. “You know I think I prefer the pacing to this.” He said, trying to get some kind of reaction out of her.

She let out a strangled laugh and finally raised her head to look at him. “How are we supposed to do this, Poe? All of our previous plans ended horribly. Now we’re up against a massive fleet with Death Star level weapons on all of the ships? How are we supposed to win this one?”

“I gotta be honest, Kat. I’m not really sure. I don’t know how Leia did this. How you do this. I’m not ready for this but I will be by your side however you need me to be.”

“And you think I’m ready for this? When I first joined everyone thought I was some party princess from Naboo who was only here because I had nothing else to do. You even thought the same.”

“I was wrong then. Horribly wrong. You came in and kicked ass and took names the moment you stepped foot on base. I was just too blinded to see that in the beginning.” He let out a small sigh. “There’s got to be a way to stop this.”

“Your guess is as good as mine.”

“Can I throw in a guess?” Lando said, emerging from where he and Chewbacca were talking further into the cave.

Both heads whipped around to see him step out of the shadows but only Kat hopped up and went to his side. “Uncle Lando, I’m so glad you’re here.” She said as she hugged him.

He chuckled, wrapping his arms around Kat. “And miss you taking over? Never.”

Kat pulled back, shaking her head. “No, I’m not ready for this. I thought I could be but…”

“And you think we were?” Lando asked. “Luke, Han, Leia, me. Who’s ever ready?”

“Then how’d you do it?” Poe asked, coming to stand beside Kat. “Defeat an empire with almost nothing.”

“We had each other,” Lando answered nudging Kat a little closer to Poe. “I’ve heard all about you two practically since the start of this thing. You wanna know how we won? Relying on each other, especially those we loved.”

Poe and Kat slowly looked towards each other. He reached up and tucked a strand of hair that had come out of her braid behind her ear. “I’m gonna go find Finn. Tell him the news then meet back at the command station?”

Kat nodded. “See you there.”

Once Poe was gone Lando laughed. “You know, I’m really not all that surprised you wound up with a pilot. Your father has got to be hating every minute of it.”

Kat blushed. “Yeah, he wasn’t exactly thrilled when he found out that it was a possibility.”

“Leia set it up didn’t she?”

“One hundred percent.” She laughed. “Are you sticking around? We could really use you.”

“And miss all this? Not a chance. What’s going on in that head of yours?” He asked as he draped an arm around her shoulders as they headed out to the command station.

✧☆✧

“General, we got something,” Poe said as he and Finn, along with D-O, approached her.

“As do I, General.” She smiled at the two men.

“This first,” Finn said, pulling her in for a hug.

Kat laughed a bit as she returned the hug.

“I’m so sorry Kat.” He gave her an extra squeeze.

Closing her eyes to keep the tears at bay, she hugged him back just as tight. “While I appreciate the sentiment, I’d rather not cry for the five millionth time today.”

Finn chuckled as he pulled away. “Right, sorry.”

“Oh, right. Kat, meet your new Army General.” Poe said as he motioned towards Finn.

Kat smiled. “You know, I’m really not all surprised. Congratulations, Finn. Now, what was it you two had to say?”

Finn smiled his thanks as Poe motioned to the small cone faced droid in between him and Finn. Kat crouched down to get a good look, smiling softly at the new droid. “Who’s this?” She asked.

“I am Dio.” The droid said as Poe also introduced them.

“They have information on Exegol. They were going with Ochi of Bestoon.” Finn explained.

“Why were you going there?” Kat asked the droid.

“Take girl from Jakku to Exegol. Alive. Emperor wants her.” D-O answered.

Kat popped up looking between the two men. “Does this mean what I think it means?”

Finn nodded. “The Emperor’s wanted Rey all along. We have to find her and help her.”

“What was it that you wanted to tell us?” Poe asked.

“Lando and I figured out a way to get more people. Crait had to have been a bust. I don’t believe that no one wouldn’t come and help if Leia sent out a message,” Kat said.

“And we’re going to get more people, how?” Finn asked.

“Lando and Chewie are going to take the Falcon to the Core Systems and send out a signal. People will come if they know that there’s hope.” Kat smiled. “Now how about we learn all we can about Exegol from our new friend here, shall we?”

✧☆✧

Kat called for a meeting with everyone. They discussed what they had learned and what they could plan to do. Thanks to Rose they knew what they needed to target in order to stop the entire fleet from leaving and Finn offered to recruit the friends they had made on Endor. Lando and Chewie would join the Resistance Naval fleet once they made it through all of the Core Systems which Poe would be leading. Finn, along with Rose and potentially Jannah, would take the ground portion of the fight. Kat would leave the command station to D’Acy for she planned on participating in the Naval attack since they could use as many pilots as they could possibly get. Now all they needed was a map to get them there.

“I’m terribly sorry,” C-3PO said as they and R2-D2 approached, “but Artoo’s memory bank must be crossed with their logic receptors. They say they’re receiving a transmission from Master Luke.”

Kat, Poe, Finn, and Rose looked at each other puzzled before Kat moved out the way so Artoo could plug into the console to show the readings he was receiving.

“That’s an old ID craft,” Poe said.

Recognizing the number, Kat grinned. “That’s Luke’s x-wing.”

“It’s transmitting course marker signals on its way to the Unknown Region.”

Finn smiled. “It’s Rey. She’s showing us how to get to Exegol.”

“Alright everyone, suit up!” Poe exclaimed, dispersing the crowd. 

✧☆✧

After Kat got into her jumpsuit, she hurried over to where Lando and Chewbacca were loading into the Falcon. “What’d ya think? Think she’s ready to retire after this?” She asked Lando.

He laughed. “Are you really going to give me my ship back?”

“Eh, I don’t know about that one. I think I might miss flying her too much.” She smiled as she hugged him. “Thanks for giving me that extra boost of confidence. I hope I make them proud.”

“Oh, you already have.”

Chewbacca growled interrupting the moment causing them both to laugh.

“You really think I would ever forget you?” Kat asked as she hugged her other uncle. “I’m sorry I’m just now getting to hug you.”

He grunted, squeezing her tight.

“Yeah, I miss her already too.”

He pulled back, placing his hands on her shoulders, looking at her with the most serious expression she’d ever seen before he growled.

She teared up but nodded. “You always got me too. I’ll see you at the end of this. I love you.” She saw Lando approaching. “Love you both.” She gave one last hug to both of them before sending them off.

With the Falcon in the air, she made her rounds, checking on everyone. When she got to Rose and Finn, she gave them both a tight hug. “Look after each other out there and I’m expecting you both to come back in one piece. I can’t rebuild a republic without you in it.”

Rose wrapped Kat into another hug. She hugged her as tight as she could, making up for the hug she didn’t get to give to Paige before she took on the dreadnought. This battle would be their last one for better or for worse. Of course, she hoped that it all would work out but she wanted to give Kat just an extra bit of love. “Be safe yourself.”

Finn also gave her one last hug. He may not have known Kat for very long, especially on the personal level they now had but he considered her family. He of course wanted everyone to come back but the woman currently in his arms was one of the few he would be devastated about if she didn’t. “Look out for each other up in the sky too and may the force be with you.”

“You as well.” Kat smiled at him before taking off to check in with others.

The last person on her list was Poe. She was headed in the direction his X-Wing was located but it seemed like he was headed for her A-Wing. She did a double-take when she thought she saw him run right past her. She stopped, laughing to herself as she turned to check and sure enough there he was doing the same.

They hurried back towards each other and met in the middle with a kiss. Poe pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her waist as Kat’s hands tangled in his curls, pulling him to her. It was messy and desperate, expressing everything they couldn’t say.

“You are to stay right behind me,” Poe said when they pulled apart.

“I’ll be there for as long as I can. I’m not going to let others be unguarded if I have the chance to watch their backs.”

Poe let out a sigh and kissed her deeply for a brief moment. “Come back to me.”

“I will if you will,” Kat promised.

“I will.” He smiled at her and Kat kissed him one last time, pouring all the love she couldn’t quite vocalize into it. Poe reciprocated easily, holding her as close to him as he could. The weight of his mother’s wedding ring had never felt so heavy.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Resistance goes to Exegol.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I hope that everyone had a great holiday and a happy new year. We have basically reached the end of The Rise of Skywalker which means we've basically finished the sequel trilogy! Next chapter sees some of the celebration so that's why it's not officially the end of TRoS. But don't worry there is still PLENTY left. Like I'm getting close to 40 chapters and still am not done telling Kat and Poe's story. Thank you all for sticking around this long and for all the love this story has received. It means so much. Without further ado, happy reading!

The flight to Exegol was rough. They stayed locked onto Rey’s coordinates and followed the trail as best they could, jumping to lightspeed for the last time before breaking atmosphere into the Emperor’s secret planet. It seemed as though the Final Order was ready for them; for once they arrived ion cannons began shooting at them.

They barely had a chance to look at the fleet but what they could see, ships went on for miles and practically filled the sky as they slowly rose to take off. With ion cannon blasts, Kat couldn’t even stay close to Poe as he had originally requested, doing basic evasive maneuvers to avoid being shot down.

“Get to their altitude. They can’t fire on us without hitting each other.” Poe ordered.

“Don’t give up. Help is coming.” Kat encouraged everyone as she started to dive down to the Final Order’s fleet altitude.

Just below the fleet was the navigation tower. Finn breathed a sigh of relief when he got a clear visual. They could do this. “Poe, I see it. I’ve got a visual on the tower.” He informed them as TIE fighters began deploying from the Destroyers.

“Incoming TIEs,” Snap said.

“I see them. Kat, help with coverage. We got you, Finn.” Poe ordered.

Kat swooped in firing at as many TIEs as she could. It had been a long time since she had been in the middle of this heavy of a dog fight. She still did pretty decently if she did say so herself. She wasn’t shot down, anyways, and that was good enough for her. As she double-checked to make sure there were no more TIEs around her, she noticed the tower starting to turn off. “The navigation tower has been deactivated.”

“Those ships need that signal, it’s gotta be coming from somewhere,” Snap said.

Poe groaned in frustration. “They figured out what we’re doing. Call off the ground invasion.” This mission was tricky enough. He wasn’t about to have a similar experience like above D’Qar and on Crait.

Finn looked around at the various ships. There had to be another way to complete their mission. The ships were still rising which meant the nav signal was transferred to somewhere else. They just need to know where. So when he felt a strong pull towards one that was farthest away from the action, he let the force guide him to what it was trying to show him. With it being so far away from the others it must be the command ship, which would make it the one they sent to Kijimi. “Wait, the nav signal is coming from that command ship. That’s our drop zone.”

Jannah looked at him concerned. “How do you know?”

He smirked at her, referencing a previous conversation they had on Endor about the force. “A feeling.”

“You wanna launch a ground invasion on a Star Destroyer? Finn, are you sure?” Kat asked.

“I don’t want to, but we can’t take out that ship’s nav system from the air. It’s coming from there, Kat, I know it. I sense it.”

Kat let out a sigh, never one to second guess a force user's feelings. “Alright. What’s your plan?”

“Give us cover. We gotta keep that fleet here till help arrives.”

“We hope,” Rose said as she hurried past, getting ready to help with the attack.

“We hope,” Finn confirmed, reaching out to give her a quick kiss.

“You heard the General. All Wings, cover that lander.” Poe ordered.

They all flew towards the command ship. Kat gripped her steering wheel tight. Nerves were coursing through her bad, bordering on fear. She trusted Finn’s judgment, of course, but there was so much risk and only so many of them and there was still no sign of Lando and Chewie.

Just then the Star Destroyers thrusters roared to life. They were getting closer and closer to take off. Kat took a few deep breaths. She still had hope. They had this, they weren’t expecting them to not use speeders. They still had some surprise on their hands.

“Those thrusters are hot.” Poe’s voice came through the comm system. “How are we doing?” He asked.

“We’re going to blow our way in and take down that nav tower,” Finn said.

“All the hatches are blast-proof!” Jannah reminded him.

“All right, BB-8, you’re up!” He then ordered, causing the orange astromech droid to start rolling towards the hatch that led to the nav tower with Jannah and Finn covering the droid.

The droid got the hatch open and soon Finn tossed down every grenade he carried with him which led to an explosion that climbed up the navigation tower.

“Nice one, Finn! Nav signal’s down but not for long.” Poe exclaimed once he saw the explosion.

They had been victorious with their first part of the plan despite some detours and yet there were still no signs of the Falcon, of help from any others, which Snap pointed out. Kat sighed, wanting to make a quip about his optimism but she had always appreciated his straightforwardness.

Apparently, Artoo had chirped in agreement for Poe answered, “I don’t know Artoo, maybe nobody else is coming.”

“What do we do General?” Jess asked.

“Poe, we gotta hit ‘em ourselves,” Kat said after letting out a sigh. She didn’t like this at all but it was all they could do at the moment.

“We gotta hit ‘em ourselves.” He agreed with a heavy sigh, not liking the idea either but Kat would have suggested something else if there was another way. “Alright, you heard the General. Just do your best to stay alive and hit those cannons.”

Even then there were far too many of them and not enough Resistance fighters. Pilots were being shot down left and right. They could barely even take out a canon. The ground team was still fighting against the Red Stormtroopers and while Finn had a plan, he wasn’t sure how successful it would be. He just knew that he had to take down this command ship then maybe, that would buy them enough time for help to arrive. Things were happening far too quickly after all, or so it seemed.

When he heard the warning to Snap, Poe looked around to find his friend’s location but it was too late. Snap had been hit and his X-Wing crashed into the side of a destroyer. “No!” He cried out, flashes of Muran came up, making it hard to breathe. He then looked frantically for Kat’s A-Wing but all he saw was so many of his friends being taken out by the TIEs. Pilots voices were shouting through the radio connection but all he could think about is how he once again led all of his friends to a losing battle. He had brought everyone to their deaths and now he couldn’t even find Kat.

“Poe, you still there?” Her voice finally came through.

He let out a sigh of relief before that same fear settled in once again. “Kat, my friends, I’m so sorry. I thought we had a shot. There’s just too many of them.”

Before Kat could even say anything Lando patched his way through. “But there are more of us, Poe. There are more of us.”

Both Kat and Poe flew above the Star Destroyers to see hundreds of ships coming in. “Look at this. Kat, do you see it?”

Kat laughed. “Yeah, I see it.”

They soon flew around so they could face the Star Destroyers once more. “Hit the underbelly cannons. Every one we knock out is a world saved.” Poe ordered and the couple took off, a handful of fighters following after them.

They knocked out a Destroyer one by one. Wedge Antilles was even in the hot seat of the Falcon helping to take down the fleet. Lando had told him that Kat was a distant relative through the Metonae line and he had to admit the girl did know how to fly. He couldn’t wait to meet her in person.

Everyone was celebrating as they took out each Destroyer and at one of Poe’s exclamations which involved someone named Zorii, Kat grew a little curious, especially since the woman called him a spice runner. She wondered if this was his contact on Kijimi.

Then a fighter pulled up beside her just as she shot at the latest canon. She looked over and saw Wes Trelli, her contact from Naboo. He smirked her way. “Miss me, love?”

Kat rolled her eyes. Looks like she and Poe would be talking about a few things later. “Glad you finally decided to get off your ass and help us out.” She quipped back at Wes before flying off.

Before she could get any further, blue lightning lit up the sky and engulfed all of the Resistance’s fleet’s ships. Kat searched for Poe’s X-Wing as he searched for her A-Wing as they both frantically tried to get their systems back up and running. They both were yelling into their microphone, hoping someone would answer them back.

Kat saw the Tantive IV falling. All of her family’s history on that one ship. All the hope that it gave them when they saw it tucked away in a cave on Ajan Kloss. “We tried mom, we tried.” She murmured, sniffling.

They had almost done it but it seemed like the Final Order had one last surprise up their sleeve. The lightning reminded her of the stories she heard about the Emperor’s power and then later Rey’s as well. It seemed like Rey had failed in her own mission or maybe Rey had joined the Emperor. She didn’t want to think that way, especially as she was falling out of the sky.

She wondered where her brother could be and just as she was about to send him a silent goodbye, the lightning stopped and her systems all came back online. “I’m back online! Can anyone else hear me?!” She called out frantically as she worked on stabilizing her fighter.

“Always good to hear your voice, General,” Poe said, his relief flooding his voice. He thought that that had been it. He had focused everything on trying to get his X-Wing back up and running so he wouldn’t have to watch Kat fall from the sky.

“Yours too, General,” Kat replied. “Now let’s take out the rest of these ships.”

A large explosion deterred them from moving too far. “The command ship! Poe, these ships aren’t going anywhere!” Kat exclaimed as she watched briefly.

“Finn, are you seeing this?” Poe asked, thrilled that after everything it seemed like they had won.

“Finn and Jannah didn’t board the lander,” Rose said.

“They’re still on that command ship?” Poe asked in disbelief, pushing his X-Wing as fast as it would go to go rescue them.

“Lando!” Kat cried, knowing that while Poe was fast, the Falcon was faster.

He chuckled. “Already on it.” The Falcon may have been an old ship but it was still fast. Jannah and Finn jumped onto the top of the light freighter just in time as the command ship of the Final Order crashed into the ground.

Unbeknownst to all except Finn, Rey had used up the last of her life force to finally kill Palpatine once and for all. Ben, who had been thrown down a pit by Palpatine climbed his way back out and limped his way over to her. He gathered her into his arms, holding her close. He knew what he needed to do but he wasn’t sure if this would truly take everything from him; if he would make it back to his sister as he promised.

He placed a hand on her waist and let his life force flow into her. When she gasped awake, he stopped the flow but he could tell that it took a lot out of him. Rey looked at him in awe, maybe even shock. She was still reeling over the fact that he had showed up to help her take on the Emperor. She refused to call him grandfather.

In thanks, she surged forward and kissed him after they shared a few silent moments of just taking each other in. The smile he gave her made him look completely different from how she was used to seeing him. She didn’t have much time to say much else because darkness took over his vision and he passed out.

“No.” Rey gasped out as she slowly lowered him to the ground. She placed her ear to his chest to try and hear a heartbeat and it was the faintest of sounds. She needed to get him back to Kat, back to base, they could save him, heal them both. What she didn’t realize, however, was that the kiss they shared, allowed for some of the newer life force in her to return to him.

She struggled to get him back to their respective ships. She tried to set him in the seat when he finally woke up just enough to realize what was going on around him. “What are you doing?” He groaned out.

She took a step back in shock. “You’re okay?”

“I feel like absolute banthashit but other than that I guess.”

She let out a sigh of relief. “That’s better than bringing you back to your sister half dead I suppose. Now strap in. We’ve gotta get out of here.”

He shook his head lightly. “She’s really not all that scary.”

“Yeah, okay. I’m pretty sure you’re still suffering from a head injury so I’m gonna pull you behind me until you feel like you can fly again.” She double checked everything and went about hitching his TIE fighter to Luke’s X-Wing.

“There, look! Red-5 is in the air. Rey’s alive.” Finn said, trailing off a bit as he noticed the TIE fighter. “And she’s pulling a TIE behind her?”

“Uh, I think that might be my brother…” Kat trailed off, unsure of how everyone would take the news.

Everyone actually cheered as if they had gotten Kylo Ren as a prisoner. Kat looked down at her lap, an uneasiness settling over her. What would they think if they knew what she planned to do once they got back to base? Would they even follow her anymore?

“People are rising up all over the galaxy,” Rose said, interrupting her thoughts. “We did it.”

Poe took off his helmet, looking out as the entire fleet of Destroyers crashed down around them. “We did it.” He agreed. “Alright everyone let’s get back to base. This was only the beginning.”


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Celebrations start and reunions are had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: I apologize for taking a bit to get this next chapter to you. I'm trying to get into the groove of writing multiple WIPs at the same time again cause apparently my mind was like no you gotta write all of these right now. So here we are with larger updates in between chapters. I hope you enjoy this next chapter and thanks for all the love this story has received!

Celebration could be heard all around the Resistance base while people were also mourning those who they had lost in the battle. Kat had only got her boots on the ground when Kare appeared in front of her. “I’m going to go find Poe and tell him the same thing but thank you for all you’ve done. Thank you for believing in us and allowing us to lead. I will help in any way that I am needed in the future.”

Kat just pulled the other woman in for a hug. “They are all looking down and celebrating with us.”

Kare made a sound that was a mix between a sob and laughter as she nodded against Kat’s shoulder. “I’m going to miss him.”

“I know,” Kat said, pulling back. “He was a great pilot and even better man and husband. We’re here if you need anything.”

The other woman hugged Kat once more, squeezing her tight to express her thanks. “Thank you, Kat, for everything.”

Kat smiled softly. “You’re welcome. Now go find Jess. I’m sure she’s looking for you.”

Once Kare ran off, Kat started making her way around base, looking for her friends while celebrating with those who stopped her. She saw Chewie first but then there was Rose so she hurried over to where the Millenium Falcon had landed. Lando snagged her before she got to the others, pulling her into a hug. “That was some great flying out there. Knew you could do it.”

“You took your time though, didn’t you?”

He laughed. “You saw all those people, right? It took a little longer to get them all there.”

Kat smiled up at him. “I’m just glad you showed.”

“I’ll never leave you stranded.” He leaned in closer, arching his eyebrow. “Now about this brother of yours?”

She rolled her eyes. “Can we talk about it later?” They may have finally won the war but there was still one raging inside of her.

He patted her shoulder, giving her a knowing look as he moved on. 

Kat let out a sigh and turned to look for the others that were on the Falcon. She saw Rose and Finn embracing but soon the mechanic was pulling back to scold him. Rose poked at his chest before pulling him in for another hug, relief radiating off of the couple. 

Jannah pulled her attention away from the couple and they shared a brief moment, Kat thanking her for her help before brown fur engulfed Kat’s vision. 

Chewbacca growled and Kat laughed as she was picked up. “It’s good to see you too.”

He soon sat her down and introduced her to Wedge, who promised that they would talk later. He understood she was quite the important woman and she wouldn’t want to speak to an old man when there were friends around to speak to. The infamous pilot pointed to where Finn and Rose were waiting to speak with her to prove his point. Kat turned and smiled before running over to hug Rose, sidelining Finn all together.

“Alright, I see how it is.” He teased her. 

“Oh, shut up and get over here.” Kat laughed, holding out her arm so they could have a group hug. “I’m so glad you two are safe.”

“Yeah, I don’t know how you handled Poe improvising all these years.” Rose joked, giving a pointed look towards Finn.

Kat laughed, shaking her head. “He’s here. That’s all that matters.”

Finn grinned and was about to say something when Kat fixed him with a pointed look. “Why don’t you go ask Poe how well gloating about that works out for ya?”

That quieted him but caused Rose to laugh. “Guess I should go find him then, huh?”

“Tell him I’ll see him soon?” Kat asked. 

“You got it,” Finn promised before leaning down to kiss Rose.

“It’s gonna take more than that!” Rose called out as Finn started to leave but he turned around and smirked at her. “I’m betting on it.”

A blush colored Rose’s cheeks causing Kat to laugh. “Remind me to stay away from your room tonight.” 

Rose bumped her shoulder against Kat’s arm, glaring up at her friend. “So who’s this person that called you love out there?”

Kat then groaned, rolling her eyes. “That’s Wes. My contact from Naboo. He is mostly a pain in my side.”

“Like Poe was?” Rose teased.

“Who’s this Poe I keep hearing about?” Wes said as he approached the two women.

Kat turned to look at him, rolling her eyes. “He is my boyfriend so I’m gonna need you to cool it.” 

“Oh, so you mean I can’t say that I still prefer you blonde?” He smirked as he pulled her in for a hug. 

“That’s exactly what that means,” Kat said as she returned the hug. “Thank you for coming. I could actually probably use your help with rebuilding efforts.”

“Anything you need. I’m hoping I can get Naboo back to some peace but I mean you saw the riots.”

“So that’s who this is!” Rose exclaimed, finally putting a name to a face. 

Kat laughed, moving to the side. “Wes, this is Rose. She’s been better about watching my six than you ever were.” She slightly teased.

Wes laughed and shook Rose’s hand. “So you’re the poor soul who took my place then. Thanks for looking out for this one. I know how much of a handful she is.”

“She definitely didn’t make it easy.” Rose teased.

“I don’t think I like this.” Kat shook her head. “I’m gonna go find Poe though so don’t share anything too embarrassing, please?” She requested as she slowly backed away.

“Not making any promises!” Wes called after her, laughing as she flipped him off. He then turned to Rose. “Kat and Poe, I need to know all the details.”

Rose laughed. “I might like you after all.”

✧☆✧

Poe walked around, looking for his friends after he stopped by one of the medics. The bacta treatment he had for the laser blast wound had worked fine but with all the flying it had been used far more than was recommended after the treatment. So they gave him a makeshift sling and he knew immediately Kat was going to freak.

He looked into one of the clearings and noticed Zorii. The two shared a head nod and continued their separate ways. He was glad that she had somehow survived the attack on Kijimi. He’d have to ask how later but for now, there were far more important things to worry about. 

Turning back to continue on his way he noticed Finn. They grinned, pointing at each other before they hugged. 

“What happened? You okay?” Finn asked when they pulled back.

“Yeah. Just a little sore and needing to rest it some since I just put a lot of strain on it.”

“Kat is not going to be happy.” He chuckled.

Poe laughed along. “No, she is not. Have you seen her?”

“I left her with Rose so it might be a bit.”

“Maybe I should go find her then.” He joked. “Where were they?”

Finn pointed back in the direction he came. “Over by the Falcon. She did say she’d see you soon though.”

“Yeah, I think I better go find her.” Poe chuckled patting Finn on the shoulder. “Great work today, General.”

“You too, General. I actually have an idea…”

“Celebrate now, ideas later,” Poe said, interrupting his friend with a smile. 

“What happened to your arm?” Kat exclaimed as she approached the two men.

“And that’s my cue to leave.” Finn laughed and left the couple to reunite.

“Is this the same arm you got shot?” She asked, touching the spot gingerly.

“It’s just sore. Strained it a little too much. I’m fine.” He kissed her temple as he wrapped his free arm around her waist. He knew that she survived their final battle but to have her in his arms, it was far better than just that simple knowledge.

She sighed and went into his embrace, being cautious of his arm as she hugged him. There really was no better feeling than being in his arms. It was like coming home after a long day and she really couldn’t wait to continue going through life with him by her side. “We did it, Poe. We actually stopped them.”

He pulled her closer, giving her waist a squeeze. “We did. You kicked ass out there. You’ve been holding out on me.” 

Kat laughed as she pulled away. “I’ve not been in anything like that since Naboo really and I’m hoping we never have to again.”

“The most action we might see is on the senate floor and I might just be okay with that.”

Kat groaned, resting her head on his good shoulder. “I don’t even want to think about that right now.”

Poe chuckled. “That’s all I’m going to say.” He then began to kiss anywhere he could reach, tugging her a little closer. “Can I steal you away now?”

Before she could even answer, the base roared into a commotion as Rey and Ben landed. Kat gave him a quick kiss. “Soon.” She promised before taking off running towards the landing space everyone else seemed to be headed too.

Sighing, he took off after her. They both pushed their way through the crowd, most had their blasters raised even if Rey stood in front of Ben. Seeing that Kat and Poe were making their way through, members of the Resistance moved aside, creating space for them to walk. 

Kat came to a halt once she was more in the opening away from the crowd. Ben was really standing there across from her and he looked worse for wear. He kept his expression unreadable, much like she had seen it throughout his time with the First Order. She should let them tie him up and put him away for all that he had done. She shouldn’t be worried about his well being, shouldn’t be worried about him toppling over at any minute. 

All she wanted to do right now, though, was hug her brother and welcome him back home. She had been dealing with whispers and rumors ever since Naboo. She never let it deter her from what she wanted before. They just fueled her will to fight and to show those who were whispering not to underestimate her. Was it the best philosophy, especially when she had a whole galaxy to convince she could rebuild the Republic and bring about peace? Probably not, but it was what she knew. 

“Lower your weapons.” She ordered. “He clearly doesn’t have any strength to do any damage.” 

When her command was listened to, she walked to his side and brought an arm around her shoulders. “Rey, will you help me get him to the med bay?”

The young Jedi nodded and went to his other side and soon both women were helping him limp to where Dr. Kalonia had set up. Murmurs spread throughout the crowd, especially as Ben’s head dropped closer to Kat’s and they saw how her hand supporting his back was moving back and forth like she was comforting him. 

“Poe, what is this?” She heard someone ask.

He shook his head. He was not about to have people come after Kat through him. “Don’t lose your trust or your faith in Kat because she is being a person, a sister, before a General. She knows what she’s doing and I’m sure she’ll answer everything soon.”

✧☆✧

“Rey, are you needing to be checked out too?” Kat asked once they got Ben situated on the exam table.

“No.” She answered.

“Yes,” Ben said at the same time.

Rey gave him a pointed look and Kat looked between the pair, looking for someone to give her an answer. 

“She died after she killed the Emperor. I brought her back.” Ben explained.

Kat turned to the other woman, a serious expression written all over her face. “That’s it. You’re also getting checked out. General’s orders.” She pointed out towards another exam room. 

The two women had a staring contest, a battle of wills more like, until Rey finally gave in as Dr. Kalonia stepped in. “Rey came back from the dead so I think she’s the more dire patient,” Kat said, hoping she could get a few moments alone with her brother.

Kalonia nodded and followed Rey out of the room, starting to ask her questions. Once the siblings were alone, Kat turned to face Ben. She was about to unleash her holy hell onto him but then she saw the sadness, the guilt, the fear, and relief written on his face. Her lip trembled and she surged forward wrapping her arms around him. “You’re home.” She cried into his neck.

Ben melted into his sister’s embrace. He never thought he would be able to do this again. He brought his arms up to wrap around her middle and held her close. Tears spilled onto his cheeks as the realization hit that Kat was truly all he had left from his old life before he had followed Snoke. He had broken practically every promise he ever made her and yet here she was still looking out for him as she always did. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry, Kat, for everything.” He sobbed quietly which in turn made Kat cry more. 

She held him as tight as she could without hurting him, hiding her face until she got herself together. All couldn’t be forgiven with just one hug. He had done so much damage and they certainly couldn’t go back to how things were between them. When her tears finally slowed she pulled away from him. “One apology is not going to be enough. You have done some absolutely horrendous things that you’re going to have to answer for. I can only do so much on top of working to rebuild what you helped destroy.”

“I’ll do whatever you need me to do.” He said, looking down at his lap. He wasn’t quite ready to face the anger he knew she held towards him. He let out a sigh, wanting to tell her so many things but not knowing where to begin. He knew now that he had been lied to, manipulated into joining the First Order. “I should have never doubted you. I should have listened to you when I first tried to get you to come with me.”

“Damn right you should have.” She shoved at his shoulder. A smirk played at her lips as she remembered something Leia had told her before she died. “Until you earn people’s trust back you’ve got to listen to everything I tell you. Mom’s orders.”

He groaned, acting very much like the younger brother finding out that his older sibling was in charge. “She did not say that.”

Kat grinned. “Oh, but she did. Her exact words were “he has to listen to his big sister.” So you have to listen to everything I tell you or you might be getting a visit from her force ghost.”

Ben just rolled his eyes. “Just don’t make me do your chores.”

She laughed at the memory of one of the other times she had been put in charge. Leia and Han had some dinner to go to and Kat had been charged with babysitting. They had come home to Ben doing the dishes while Kat sat nearby instructing him on what to do. “Don’t worry, power doesn’t go to my head anymore.”

He gave her a questioning look, wondering if that was a jab at him or not. The cheeky grin she had on her face, however, told him all that he needed to know. Dr. Kalonia appeared then and Kat sat quietly in the corner as Ben was checked out. Ultimately the doctor decided to keep him for a few days so she could monitor his broken bones and give him fluids. 

To give him some privacy to get ready for his treatments, Kalonia brought Kat out into the hallway. “I’m keeping Rey under observation tonight, maybe even give her some fluids as well, especially based on what she told me had happened to them on the ground. My order for you is to go rest. Celebrate, sure, you deserve to but how prepared are you for questions?”

Kat looked towards the room they had just come out of and sighed. “I’m sure you have a few of your own.”

Kalonia just smiled. “Actually I don’t have any at all.”

The general was taken aback momentarily but soon a grateful smile spread across her features. “Thank you, doctor.” She squeezed Kalonia’s arm as she passed by. With things settled for now, maybe she could truly enjoy their victory.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leia leaves one last present for her daughter. Kat and Poe give talking about the future a try.

“There you are,” Poe said, relieved. He had gone to the med bay when he hadn’t seen her in a while but she wasn’t with Ben and Kalonia said that she had left. 

He went to find Rose first, but Kat wasn’t there despite everyone else she would be with being there. Chewbacca and Finn sat around the bonfire with Rose, Jannah, the remainder of his squadron, Lando, Wedge, and a man he didn’t recognize. He congratulated Jannah on a job well done and then Rose introduced him to Wes, the man he didn’t know before. Poe wasn’t entirely sure who he was to Kat, all he knew was that they had known each other during her time on Naboo and he didn’t like how the other man acted like he knew how to find her. Thankfully Rose stepped in and Poe went on to continue his search. 

He tried Leia’s room first but she wasn’t there. He thought about checking her A-Wing next but he would have heard if anyone had left so to the Millenium Falcon he went.

She sat in the cockpit, feet up on the control panel, looking completely at home. At the sound of footsteps, she turned around and smiled softly. “Hey, sorry if I worried you. I just needed to think.”

Shaking his head, he took a seat in the co-pilot chair. “We are supposed to be celebrating.”

She gave him a pointed look. “You know as well as I do that I can’t celebrate. They want answers and I don’t know if I can give them yet.”

He shrugged. “Then don’t answer them.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“You don’t have questions you’d like me to answer?”

“Yeah, I just asked you one.” 

Kat rolled her eyes. “Not what I meant.”

Poe took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I told you before that I’m going to support you with this. I may challenge you on some things but that’s only because I don’t trust him and I want to look out for you too. So the only questions I have are, what’s your plan and how can I help?”

She couldn’t believe it. She expected more of a fight, more explaining herself. Instead, she got his continual support and a warm, fuzzy feeling that she didn’t know a lot about. Not only was it a rare feeling for her, but she also allowed herself not to feel it for years. “Even after everything?”

“Even after everything,” Poe confirmed.

She lowered her feet back to the floor and leaned over to kiss him. “Thank you.”

He smiled before kissing her again, tugging her towards him. Straddling his lap, she settled against him and deepened the kiss. Her fingers tangled in his hair as his delved into her braid, loosening it. His hand wrapped in the sling gripped her hip, holding her against him.

“Does this mean that I can steal you away now?” He asked as he kissed along her jaw.

She pulled back and unzipped her jumpsuit enough for her to remove her arms from the sleeves. “No stealing necessary.” She smirked as she reached over and pressed the button that raised the loading ramp.

His smirk easily matched hers but before he could do anything to show just how much he liked the idea, Kat stood and walked away, pulling off her tank top as she went. He watched her, confused until she stopped in the doorway and turned to give him a coy smile. 

“Are you coming, General?” 

Poe scrambled after her as she led him to the captain’s quarters where they remained for the rest of the evening.

✧☆✧

She shouldn’t have been surprised when Poe wrapped his arms around her middle. She saw him coming into the fresher in the reflection of the mirror as she focused on braiding her hair intricately before twirling it into a bun. There was plenty of work to be done and she didn’t feel like dealing with her hair eventually sticking to her neck from the humidity so up it went. 

“Good morning to you too.” She said as he did his best to bury his face into her neck with her arms raised.

“Come back to bed.” He mumbled, trying to persuade her with light kisses.

She let out a sigh and lowered her hands to rest on his arms after finishing the last braid before completing the look she was going for. “I wish I could but there’s too much to be done that I wouldn’t be the best company.”

Poe rested his chin on her shoulder, looking at her through the reflection. “Didn’t you know that bed is the best place to plan things?” He asked with a slight smirk.

Kat turned to look at him as best she could, a smile on her lips. “Is that so?”

“Oh yeah. All the best plans are made there.” He let her go but took her hand leading her back out to the bed.

When he felt his calves hit the bed, he tugged her forward. One hand moved to her waist and the other went up to cup her jaw. Her hands landed on his chest and the moment he kissed her, they slid up to cross behind his neck. 

She sighed into the kiss, letting him deepen it and have complete control. She wanted nothing more than to get lost in his kisses, to forget about all the decisions that awaited her outside of the Millenium Falcon. Not only did she have to figure out an exact plan on what to do with Ben, but she also had to figure out what to do with the remaining First Order bases, and how she was to approach the galaxy with a way to create a new, new Republic. 

His hand slid under his shirt that she currently wore but before he could push the shirt off, Kat took his wrists in her hands and stopped his movement. Giving him an apologetic look, she gave him a kiss as she pulled his hands away from her body. “There’s just too much to do.” She said as an explanation.

Poe let out a sigh but nodded, before kissing her forehead. “Then we’ll work through things over breakfast because everyone else is going to be too hungover to help out.”

Kat laughed. “I’ll go see what I can find in the galley then.”

She kissed him one last time before they went their separate ways to get ready for the day. Once she was dressed, Kat made her way to the kitchen to see what she could rummage up for breakfast. She didn’t want to leave the small bubble that the Falcon created yet. Besides, she doubted that those who worked in the Mess Hall were even up and making breakfast. 

Leia probably would have shaken her head if she knew that Kat missed out on the festivities going on outside of the Falcon. Maybe more so at the fact that she didn’t let herself truly celebrate with everyone even if she and Poe had their own celebration away from the rest of the Resistance. Kat let out a shaky breath, pushing her tears back as she climbed up onto the counter to look for the secret stash since there really wasn’t a whole lot in the cupboards.

Pulling out the box, she tucked it into her side so she could lower herself back down. With her feet back on the floor, Kat began to look through it, trying to find something suitable for breakfast. She pulled out the bags of cereal, hoping they wouldn't have to eat them dry when she noticed a datapad. 

Kat gingerly brought the datapad out, looking at it as if it was the most precious thing in the world. She didn’t know why a datapad had been stashed away but knowing Leia, it had to be important. Turning it on, she nearly cried when the first thing she saw was a letter from her mom.

_ My darling daughter, _

_ If you are reading this, Then I’m no longer physically with you. I'm sure I passed on some great wisdom but I wanted to give you one more thing. The following files are all about how each Republic ran their government so that you can see all that worked, all that didn't work, and make this third new Republic something great. I know you talked about wanting to create something that would allow for peace to truly last throughout the Galaxy so I hope that these will help. I also would just like to remind you that even though I am not physically with you any longer, that I will always be with you. Never forget how much I love you, Katerina. You have made me so proud and so lucky that I get to call you daughter and I know that you will continue to do so.  _

_ All my love,  _

_ Mom _

Poe found her hunched over the counter, shoulders shaking as she silently cried. His heart broke at the sight. They may have won the war but they had lost so much. He laid a hand on her shoulder and soon his arms were full of Kat. He noticed the datapad on the counter and wondered what could have possibly been on it to get Kat into such a state. 

She knew she needed to give him an explanation. Sure with all she’s been through it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise that she would just be randomly crying but this time something had triggered it. Kat let herself be held, enjoying his comforting caresses and kisses placed on her hair. It all allowed her to catch her breath from her cries, knowing that if she tried to talk now, it would be broken and hard to understand.

“She, she left a datapad full of information on each of the old Republic’s bodies of government to help with figuring out how to get things going again.” Kat sniffled as she pulled back. 

“Still full of surprises I see.” Poe chuckled as he wiped Kat’s tears away. 

Kat nodded. “I thought I was going to have to wait until I got back to Chandrila to look at my old theory holos to really dive into plans but she gave me files to get things kickstarted.”

“Theory holos?”

“You know I did actually go to school despite what people read. I now finally get to put it to use.”

A smirk appeared on his lips, brown eyes sparkling with mirth. Kat knew some ridiculous comment was about to happen and she gave him a warning look. “Be careful of your next words, Dameron.”

He gave her a look, trying to act completely innocent. “What? I was just going to say how lucky I was to be with the most beautiful soon to be senator.”

She rolled her eyes, shoving at his shoulder playfully. “Shut up. Get out of my galley.” She said all with a smile.

Poe laughed and pulled her closer, giving her a cheeky grin before placing a playful kiss on her cheek. 

Kat couldn’t help but laugh along, shaking her head. “You’re ridiculous.”

“And yet, here you are.” He smiled. If this small snapshot was going to be how things with Kat were going to be post Resistance. He couldn’t wait to truly get started on creating a life together with her.

“Here I am.” She smiled back before she kissed him. If this was going to be life with Poe, she could certainly get used to it. 

✧☆✧

They sat around the Dejarik table, datapad between them as they ate their breakfast. Kat marked places she would need to revisit and even started typing up notes in between bites. As Poe listened to her talk through things he couldn’t help but just look at her in awe. He knew she was good at strategizing, some of the plans she had made for various missions over the years had been successful. Now that she was planning out everything for the latest version of the Republic, it was obvious she was even more in her element. 

After they finished reading through the files, Kat sighed and leaned back into the booth. “Now just to figure out what to do with Ben and the rest of the First Order.”

“I think Finn might have an idea about that second problem but what are you thinking about that first one?” Poe asked, turning to face her, tucking some hair behind her ear. 

“I’m definitely not going to stand up and pardon him for everything. I just, I can’t.” Her voice cracked as she thought of everything that was stacked against Ben. “I know Snoke manipulated him in the beginning. I don’t know the extent but I know that’s initially why he turned. I’ll have to talk to him about it. So I don’t want to lock him up.”

“What about some kind of assessment or maybe an apology tour?” 

Kat thought about it, working through various possibilities when a full idea began to form. “So mom said that he has to listen to me so what if I promise to keep a close eye on him, he has bi-monthly check-ins that are like an assessment to see if he’s ready to re-enter society maybe something similar to any Stormtroopers that might now defect and then he has to give us all information on old bases and help us fully end the First Order.”

“You’re going to test those that now defect?”

“I’m not about to have someone say that they defect and then try to rebuild the First Order up from the inside of all of our hard work. Basically trying to keep what happened with the first Republic from happening again. I’d have Finn and Jannah work on it if Jannah still wants to stick around of course. On top of that, there’s the matter of reuniting families, helping them get back into society, and being their own person.”

Poe nodded. “I’m sure it’s part of what Finn would want to do.”

“What are your thoughts on the other part of the plan?” She fidgeted with her fingers as she waited for his response. 

“It’s a good start. Could use a little tweaking. You’re not going to be able to watch him all the time when you’re trying to restart the Republic.”

“Then I’ll get help. Or maybe even do house arrest.” Her eyes then lit up at another idea. “Yeah, a house arrest type situation. He won’t be able to fly and he won’t be able to practice the force on top of everything else and if he continues to improve then he gets those things back. Until he can live on his own.”

“You’re going to live with him?” Poe asked, not entirely liking the idea. Sure they hadn’t talked about what they would be doing once they got off Ajan Kloss but he assumed they would be together.

Kat shrugged. “If that’s what it takes.”

Sighing, Poe moved so he could rest back against the booth. 

“What?” Kat asked as she took over Poe’s old position so she could look at him. 

“I just,” he bit his bottom lip, “I just thought that maybe you and I would find somewhere together?”

Reality came crashing in at his suggestion. Sure she had just thought about what life could potentially be like with Poe but moving in together so soon after they finally made it official, scared her. He didn’t know what she was like outside of the Resistance. She wasn’t that different but he could wind up tired of her and leave. He could be like her ex and use how much she worked as an excuse to crush her. She didn’t know what their relationship would look like outside of the boundaries of war and that scared her. She needed to get off the ship and think, think about everything, not just her relationship with Poe but everything she was about to take on. 

“I’m going to see if there’s anyone up. We need to get started.” Kat said, grabbing the datapad and hurrying off the Falcon.

Poe noticed the moment she froze up beside him. Her eyes widened and it looked like she even stopped breathing for a moment. Her hand shot out and grabbed the datapad and before he could even say anything she was gone. Groaning he lowered his head onto the table with a soft thud. He had hoped that he, them, no longer scared her. But even after they finally made things official, they still kept their separate space on base. Did they spend the night in each other’s rooms when they could? Sure, but they didn’t move in together. 

He let out a frustrated sigh as he sat back up. He couldn’t believe she truly ran from him when he mentioned what seemed like a logical next step. Not only would they continue to work together to rebuild things, but there was also the bit of the unknown of if there would even be adequate housing for everyone returning. Wouldn’t it just make sense for them to only take up one option instead of two? 

They needed to talk things through. She was going to absolutely hate, possibly even yell at him for it, but he was fully prepared to interrupt whatever sort of meeting she probably already got together. He wasn’t entirely sure of what he needed to reassure her about but he also knew that he did not like that she kept running away from him when she got scared. He’d have to talk to her about that too and maybe ask her to promise him that she wouldn’t do it anymore. If she needed to think things through on her own, he understood, but he’d like a little heads up at least, not this guessing game he was now playing on whether or not she would come to him or if he would actually have to force the conversation. 

Poe let out a huff as he stood from the table, fully planning on finding Kat. He didn’t want to come off too hot-headed about her leaving him but he did need an answer. Did she need time to think or was she running away from him for good? He didn’t want to ask that second question. The potential answer to that tore him up inside, not wanting to lose her at all. She had easily grown into someone he needed in his life always so he hoped that she wasn’t truly running away. He really hoped she wasn’t truly running away.

**Author's Note:**

> AN: Thank you all for reading my first Star Wars fic! This idea would just not leave me alone so here it is. I will try to update on a regularish schedule since I have a good few chapters already written. I hope you liked it and I look forward to hearing what you think!


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